Second Chances
by Aralain
Summary: CONTINUING! Remus and his pals taken on the ride of their lives when a young woman who claims to be from their future appears in the marauder era, ready to change the world as they know it. Will her own past keep her from handling their future? Can she love still? Chapter 16 UP!
1. A New Beginning

Summary: Remus and his pals taken on the ride of their lives when a young woman who claims to be from their future appears in the marauder era, ready to change the world as they know it. Will her own past keep her from handling their future? Will she reignite a love she had lost?

Disclaimer: Of course none of this is really mine except the AU bits and the plot of this particular story. It truly belongs to JK Rowling and this disclaimer is meant for all the chapters following.

Please enjoy. I think it's a very interesting idea and I wanted to play with it. What would have happened if they had lost the war. If they'd gone so far, taken so much time to destroy each horcrux but in the end... Harry had failed. Of course my own little HrG/RL imagination ran away with me, but hey, that's who I am and if you searched me using characters, you're in the same boat I am. Review if you please!

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

Remus fell to the ground, tripping over something. He stumbled backwards, and looked down, his eyes widening at the sight of a foot, his eyes traveled up the shabbily-clothed body to see a pale face. She looked horribly beaten and bruised. He wondered what had happened to her. A horrifying thought struck him. Had he…?

"James!" he called, his voice cracking slightly. The terror in his heart became more and more powerful when James didn't answer. "JAMES!" he cried out again, his voice more frantic this time. He saw James run into the clearing.

"She… she was just there. I tripped over her. James what if I… did I?" Remus stuttered.

James jogged to the girl, brushing his friend aside. He touched his fingers to her neck lightly. "She's alive, Remus," James said. "Do you know any awakening spells?"

Remus' eyes were on the girl's innocent face, contorted in an expression of pain. He was shaking terribly. James racked his brain quickly. He couldn't think of anything at the moment, not for this at least.

"Enervate," he said, on the off-chance that it would work, though it generally only worked to counteract stupefy.

To his surprise, the girl sat up quickly, coughing hard and leaning forward. James rubbed her back softly. There was a look of extreme pain on her face now and she jerked away from his hand, before crying out with pain as a visible open wound on her left side, was shocked. Blood soaked her shirt and her face was ashen white, eyes sunken in. Her arm was cradled against the wound, and her breathing erratic, bringing a wince each time she inhaled.

"What happened?" Sirius cried as he came upon them. "Did you…"

"I don't know!" Remus shouted, jumping to his feet and beginning to limp back and forth, pacing as he had never paced before. Tears of frustration welled in his eyes. This could ruin his life, but more importantly this could ruin her life.

"Where am I?" the girl's cracked voice broke through his pacing. She was obviously in extreme pain. The sight of the sheer amount of blood was enough to make Remus queasy in a moment. He may have been a werewolf, but that didn't mean his human side was any less frightened. She looked around at them.

"Harry?" she asked, looking blearily up at James, raising her hand up to his face. She grabbed onto his glasses and suddenly froze. She pushed her feet hard, digging her heels in and half-crawling away, leaning slightly to keep from stretching her injured side. She ran into a pair of legs and looked up to see who she had run into. A small scream left her lips as a sort of recognition flashed when she saw Peter.

"Get away!" she shouted, jumping to her feet and trying to run away, though her injuries wouldn't let her get far. She collided with Sirius, who fell to the ground. She remained on her feet, leaning against a tree, breathing erratically. She snatched a wand that fell from Sirius' hand to the ground.

"Full moon," she mumbled, looking up at the dusky sky. Her eyes fell on Remus and her darting eyes steadied. She stared at him for a long moment, her wand lowering, hand shaking.

"Remus," she whispered, trying to walk to him, but she fell to her knees, halfway. She looked at Sirius and then back at Remus then mumbled, "You're dead." With that, she passed out, hitting the ground with a loud thud.

They all stared at her for a long time. "Dead?" Sirius repeated questioningly.

Remus sat in the room at St. Mungos, staring across at the bed, where James sat, running a nervous hand through his hair. The girl looked smaller even on the bed. She looked a few years their senior, had brown hair that lay in complete disarray. The expression on her pale face was pained. The healers had spent hours with her, before the marauders were allowed into the room.

Headmaster Dumbledore was outside the room right now, currently raising his voice to a group of Ministry Officials who wanted to arrest Remus for biting the girl. She was indeed a werewolf. The blood tests that they had done had assured them of that. She definitely wasn't a registered werewolf. The ministry couldn't even figure out who she was.

Remus stood up as he saw a ministry official enter the room, flanked by two larger men. The loud sound as the door hit the wall and woke up the girl, who had previously been asleep. Remus' eyes shot to her and their eyes met. Tears filled those hazel orbs before her keen eyes darted around quickly, trying to figure out what was going on. She looked so lost, raising a hand to her head at the pain and groaning softly. He could hear her breaths and the pain behind each and guilt ate at him. Her eyes though... they were so familiar and there was something about her that made him feel like they'd missed something.

The men walking quickly across the room drew his attention after a moment. He lowered his head, standing submissively as they came upon him. He winced as the two larger men grabbed him by the arms roughly. It hurt, but he deserved it. He met the girl's eyes again, through the shade of his dirty bangs. She stared still in confusion. Remus could barely concentrate as the smaller wizard began telling him a rather mechanical list of rights for werewolves. He'd read of his "rights" before, or lack thereof. Something seemed to be pressing on him, but he couldn't quite tell what. Actually, it felt like... he couldn't explain it, but it felt like magic a very raw form of magic pressing down on him heavily.

He tore his eyes away as he was dragged towards the door. "Stop! What are you doing?" a small husky voice halted the ministry officials and gasps drew the attention of the men in the room to that girl. Remus looked at James who was blocking the door, but his eyes were behind him. Remus looked to the girl once more and felt his own breath hitch. She was on her feet, small hand gripping one of the bedposts tightly. She stumbled a bit, but took an even firmer grip, her eyes fluttering for a moment before she became steeled. He'd seen them give her potion after potion. She was on so many medical potions that for her to be able to stand was near impossible especially with the extensive injuries they'd claimed she had.

"What- what has he done?" she demanded, a voice that might have at one time held authority was weak with the drugs and the pain.

"Ma'am, please settle down. You should not defend this monster. This man… he bit you," the man said. The girl gave Remus a bewildered look. He shrunk in shame as her eyes looking from him to the ministry officials and back, as if she didn't comprehend that statement, which no one had told her the most important part of that.

"You're a werewolf," the young Remus Lupin said, his head downcast.

A small, tired smile came to her pale, slightly scarred face. "I, sir," she paused to draw a breath, "have been a werewolf for- three full cycles now, and- if you need me to, I'll show you the scar to prove that," she said, swallowing hard. "He is not the one- that turned me into a werewolf." Remus watched her face wrinkle at the pain and felt a sudden urge to go to her side, to help her. Sirius rushed past James, going to her side and taking her arm. She glanced up at him with a watery smile, her free hand going to cover her injury on her right side.

"If this man was not the monster who turned you, who was? We must apprehend him at once," the ministry member said, sounding very high on himself.

"How can you call- him that when you don't even know him?" she said, a deep sadness in her voice. Surely she didn't expect a response to that. Remus stared at her, exchanging a confused look with James.

"Fenrir Greyback is a bit out of your reach these days, isn't he," the girl said, darkly, her eyes shifting to another form. She was now returning Remus' stare in such a way as to make him shift under the power of it. Her eyes were full of tears, but that was to be expected with the kind of pain she was in.

"Greyback," Remus muttered, voice distant even to his own ears. He shrugged off the ministry official's arms roughly and sat down heavily on a nearby chair, feeling as if a large weight had been lifted.

"I think that means you three have no business here," Dumbledore said. Remus looked to him, trying to stem his own tears as a sob escaped the girl on the other side of the room. Tears began to fall down her face in earnest as she stared into the kind blue eyes looking upon her.

The ministry members looked at each other. One nodded and they all walked out silently, sending hooded glances at her as they went. Sirius supported the girl as her knees buckled. It seemed that she felt she had to keep her dignity with the ministry officials around, but otherwise, she couldn't hold herself up.

"Are you all right?" Sirius asked, after he'd helped her back onto the bed. She sat up on her own, feet off the edge.

"This must be a dream… or a nightmare," she mumbled. Remus looked up at her, agreeing with the second part of that. This had been his worst nightmare realized.

"Why is that my dear?" Dumbledore asked. She raised her hand to her chest, wincing in pain.

"You're all dead," she said, softly, not breaking eye contact with him.

"I believe that this means that you have a story to tell us?" Dumbledore said. The girl didn't speak, eyes locked on Peter Pettigrew who had finally come into the room.

"Not with all these people," she said, eyes narrowing on the bedspread.

"None of us are allied with you-know-who," Sirius said, his brow furrowing.

"Perhaps Mr. Black, we shall concede to this young lady's wishes. We all must agree that she has indeed been through a lot," Dumbledore said.

"How, how do you know our names though?" James asked, frustrated. Remus stood, walking to the door, but paused to look back at the girl. He could feel her eyes on him which they were, but she didn't respond to the question or address him.

"James," Dumbledore said, warningly. James took a seat and shut his mouth as Sirius, Remus and Peter all left. Peter looked relieved to be told to go. That girl did look at him strangely.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked, when the door closed behind the fearsome foursome. She watched as they took seats out in the hall, could see them through a large window. She wasn't in the main part of St. Mungos that was for sure. They didn't have locks on the doors of windows to observe there. She was a threat and they were making sure she wasn't able to harm anyone.

"I am Hermione um- Hermione Granger," the girl said. Dumbledore's brow furrowed at the stutter but he didn't say a word. She glanced at the marauders on the other side of the wall. She then lowered her head. "I knew all of them and you. I knew you well," the girl looked at Dumbledore sadly.

"You use the past tense?" Dumbledore asked.

"I don't know what happened. It was some kind of spell I think or a worm hole. I've been sent back nearly two decades in time," Hermione said. He stared at her, as her mind practically whirled before him. Her hazel eyes were very expressive, but he resisted his natural urge to look through them and simply find the answers he sought. No. He had to do what was right and that was ask and get answers. "Perhaps I'm here to help the future, change it," she added softly.

"Changing time is a serious issue Miss… Granger," Dumbledore told her, a sharpness entering his eyes as he looked upon the girl.

"If only you knew what happened, headmaster," she said. The window that showed her the four sitting out in the hall had her full attention. She stared at one intently, unabashed when the others noticed her gaze. He followed those eyes to Remus, but it wasn't the time to ask on that.

"What did happen, child?" Dumbledore asked, pulling a seat up to sit before her, where she sat on the bed, watching her tenderly.

"Harry and I, we couldn't fight him off. Voldemort killed Harry, he killed- Ron, and he… he- he killed- Remus. Ginny and I… we were the only ones left until…" she trailed off, looking down as tears streamed down her cheeks. She looked out through the window once again at Remus who was bent over, cradling his head in his hands. He watched as a look of pain crossed her delicate face and her fists clenched on the bedspread at her sides.

"Everyone is dead. I think the only reason I'm alive is because I'm a werewolf. Fenrir Greyback bit me, and Voldemort kept me around to see if he could get any entertainment when I changed and was locked in a cage with Ginny… I don't know how I got here, but some magic must have sent me. There isn't anything left in the future. Nothing… no order members, Voldemort controls Hogwarts as well as the Ministry, and... there's no Harry Potter," she said. Miss Granger's rant ended, the room fell into silence.

"Harry Potter?" Dumbledore asked, quietly after trying to digest the information.

"James Potter's son. He was my best friend," she whispered, tears continuing to fall silently down her face, solemn and slow.

"We lose?" Dumbledore asked, quietly, feeling himself waver.

"We won't," Hermione said.

"But we did?" Dumbledore pressed, looking at her sharply.

"NO! We will not lose, because I know everything that led up to…" she began, trailing off.

"Our loss," Dumbledore finished.

"I can change it," she said.

"Changing time is not something you can do on a whim. You could alter things that…" Dumbledore found himself cut off by the girl's soft voice.

"Things that shape a terrible future, the death of most of the good people of the wizarding world… the death of all who were true, honest, and caring?" she whispered.

"Miss, I am not sure I know exactly what we are to do in this matter, but if you have a suggestion that doesn't involve…"

"Headmaster, please let me try. I can't go through your death again, or Harry and- Remus…" the pretty girl trailed off, once again glancing up at him. "Sirius will lead the worst life you could ever think off, James will only reach the age of twenty-one before he's finished off, Remus will wallow in self pity for years, and the other one... he will betray you."

"The other one… Peter?" Dumbledore frowned. He looked to the window. "If you are who you say that you are, then you understand that I cannot trust you right now…"

She was silent for a long while but he could sense that she had something to say. He didn't know what it was yet, but she was thinking. He waited patiently as her mind worked for a few minutes. "Headmaster, in these times who can you trust but those that fly in fire and deny the silver blood," she said in a very quiet voice. His eyes widened and he stared at her. If one word had been off, the statement could not have been authenticated, but she had not stumbled over her words. She'd collected her thoughts and then said it without hesitation. His eyes followed as she shrugged her shirt off of her shoulder. Dumbledore nodded, at the sight of a tattoo. It was a red bird and it bowed its head at him respectfully, a mark that only one of The Order could know that it was real. The only thing was, it wasn't anywhere near the mark that they had these days. No it was much more advanced.

"The fire that burns in all of us allows us the effects that the silver should give, though the effect should live in the hearts of those we love," Dumbledore replied. "You will drink veritaserum?" he questioned, rather gruffly, no longer treating her as a he might a student, more as an adult.

"Without hesitation," Hermione responded. Dumbledore nodded and with that he was gone, disapparated with a loud pop.

Hermione looked down at her side that was protesting at having been in a bent position. She could see red through the pristine white cloth and groaned. The pain was sharp and terrible and made her scrunch her eyes as she felt one wave of intensity.

When she looked up, her eyes met those of James Potter in the hallway. In a second she had covered her shoulder again. He was the only one to see the mark it seemed. Sirius and Peter were both speaking to Remus softly. James placed a hand on his own shoulder, staring at her. She realized that he was probably the only one of the group that had been initiated already.

James nodded his head to her, a sign of respect. She nodded back, and as they connected it seemed the others had vanished to either person's knowledge. That was the connection of The Order. When you were one of them, you would always remain one of them until the day you died. If someone bore the mark that only Dumbledore could give then they were worthy of recognition and fellowship. In that response she had given him, she had conveyed that he could enter and he seemed to know that as he walked in and shut the heavy door behind himself, not allowing his friends to follow.

"They didn't want to fully heal it because they were afraid that you would go into post full-moon frenzy. They wanted you to remain weak, you understand," James said, darkly.

"The first week after you aren't even really human," she said, gruffly.

"Allow me," he said, taking out his wand and pointing to her wound.

The girl nodded, grabbing onto the corner where it was bandaged. She gripped it and pulled it off slowly, to leave her abdomen bare. Looking down at the wound she sighed. James followed her eyes as she glanced at Remus, who was staring in through the window, pain and self-loathing in his eyes. When he saw her looking at him, he looked away sharply, guilty and embarrassed.

"Sorry about that, but in his defense he received quite a few nasty gashes on his right arm and leg," James said, looking back down as he waved his wand. The tip lit up and shot at the wound. It began to close itself up, not even needing anything to help it along.

"Perhaps our wolves don't agree with each other," she murmured softly. He jerked his head as he concentrated on her injury.

"Obviously they already used a potion," she said watching how easily he healed her. "Can I borrow your wand?" she asked, softly when he'd finished with the worst.

James hesitated, before conceding softly, handing it to her. She pointed it at the window which became completely covered. She immediately handed it back to him. "I'm sure you weren't in the room when they treated me, but..." she trailed off. She pulled her legs up beneath her and turned, with a wince. She pulled her shirt up by the collar to show him her back.

James winced as he saw it. There was first a nasty bite-mark on her back that looked horribly infected. It looked like it was very old. She must have been kept alive by magic and the wound reopened more than once. Along with that, there were more gashes, methodical and even as if someone had purposefully.

"That bad, is it?" the girl whispered, distantly.

"Who did this?" he demanded, through gritted teeth. His stomach turned over, as he took in the damage.

"I don't really want to talk about it. Could you just..." she trailed off, her voice weak. He felt a sudden urge to just hold this girl's hand, tell her she'd be al right. She seemed so lost, so tired, and so hurt.

James worked hard to heal the wounds and it took a long time. He could hear her soft sounds of pain every time he performed a spell. His mother had taught him these complicated spells in the past two years and he was good, but this took a lot of concentration and... a lot of spells. She was very badly injured.

When he'd finished with a few there was knocking on the door. He told his friends to wait and warded it. She obviously didn't want them to see and he wasn't going make her go through that if it would cause her any more grief. She obviously gone through a lot for their side. He wouldn't add to it.

"Can I do anything else?" he asked, as he finished the last spell. She glanced at him, her eyes meeting his.

"Is- is there anywhere else I can go? I rather dislike hospitals and the ministry so this is quite easily my least favorite place in the wizarding world right now."

He nodded, "I'm not sure that we can apparate you because of the…"

"… The grade three ingredients in the regeneration paste. Yes, I know. Once that hits the blood stream, that form of transportation is illegal," Hermione said.

"All right then, little know-it-all. Come on," he said, pulling her arm over his shoulder with a chuckle. She was wearing muggle clothes still, though the bottom of her shirt had been magically severed to allow emergency care at St. Mungos when she had arrived, but it didn't seem she minded and the wounds on her back were barely visible. Only a few reached down that far.

She leaned heavily on him, but he held fast, helping her out into the hallway. He knew for a fact she'd not been given a blood-replenishing potion. The door opened ahead of them and Sirius took her other arm over his shoulder. She bit her lip to keep from crying out at the pain that motion caused, but after a moment relaxed.

"Where are we going?" Sirius asked James over the girl's head.

"Home, we're just going home," James said. "We'll take floo from Dad's office."

"All right," Sirius said. "Here Remus and I will take her. You have to go find Lily. She sent an owl. That's why we were knocking," Sirius said, handing him the letter that he shuffled out of his pocket.

"Peter, you can come with me," James said.

"All right," Peter nodded.

Sirius glanced down at the girl when she stiffened. "We'll make sure she gets some rest," he said. "Remus too," he added.

"I bet you'll be good at playing mum Padfoot," James said, smirking which earned him a roll of the eyes, but the mood was anything but light. The other three marauders saw the amount of blood on James's hands and knew that whatever had happened to this girl went beyond a werewolf fight.

Remus limped over and wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her arm onto his shoulders. He frowned, glancing down at her as he felt a strange magic flow through him and make his fingers tingle in an odd way. This magic had been coming off of her. There was no doubt of it now. Dumbledore had always had that flow of magic radiating off of him, but he could practically taste this girl's magic in the air.

James and Peter walked off one way and the three of them started off down the hallway. They weren't stopped by any nurses, who had probably been told to stay away by Dumbledore. That man always seemed to know what would happen before it ever did. Well, he hadn't predicted this. Sirius glanced down at the girl, who seemed to put her full concentration in walking.

"So, do you have a name?" Sirius asked.

"Hermione," she said, not looking up at him. It quieted again as they navigated their way through the ministry.

"Sorry about…" Remus trailed off uncomfortably, breaking the silence.

"'Tis just a scratch," she teased, lightly. His hand tightened around her, trying to convey his seriousness. "I'm all right," she promised. "I'm sorry about hurting you as well," Hermione whispered.

"Any chance you can tell us where you came from?" Sirius asked, leading a bit as he rounded the corner.

"Not now, no," she said. There was silence down the rest of that hall and on the elevator. They got even stranger looks as they walked down the halls towards the senior auror offices. Hermione was feeling more and more lightheaded as they went, familiar faces flashing before her. Suddenly, she couldn't find her feet. As she began to feel all her weight moving forward, the two strong hands on both of her sides tightened and both of her hands were grabbed before they slipped off of the shoulders. A jolt of pain at that brought her to full awareness.

"Whoa, are we all right here boys?" a slightly older fellow asked. A light of recognition flashed in the girl's eyes when she made eye contact and she answered before either of the boys could.

"Just trying to keep pushing forward, one step at a time, left right left right," she said, wondering how she could be so lucky that that comment would fit so well into the situation.

"As long as we have strength and determination, we find our way then don't we, young lady?" he replied. Sirius and Remus both looked terribly confused at their odd manner of speaking.

"Right... Mr. Potter, James sent us. We're going to take Herm- uh…" Sirius had already forgotten Hermione's name, but Remus was quick to finish the sentence.

"We were going to take Hermione to your house if that's all right. We were wondering if we could use your fireplace sir," Remus said.

"Certainly, where's James?" Mr. Potter asked.

"He had to go find Lily, something about school," Sirius replied. "Head Boy stuff probably."

"I see, well go ahead, the missus isn't home, so just take her up to the guest room, all right?" he asked.

"Yes sir," Remus nodded. "Ready?" he asked, looking to Hermione for an answer.

Hermione stared up at him for a moment, as if she hadn't even comprehended his speaking, but after a moment it clicked. "Yes, I'll be all right," Hermione replied, looking down.

They made it to Mr. Potter's office all right and Sirius opened the door, turning on the light as the shuffled in sideways as they couldn't all fit in the doorway of course. Sirius left Remus supporting Hermione as he conjured a magical fire and pulled out a small box of floo powder.

"I'll take her," Sirius said.

"Not a chance. You'll probably end up in France for all we know. You're terrible with floo," Remus said, irately.

"Well you're injured," Sirius pointed out.

"I can handle it," Remus said. Sirius turned away huffily and stepped into the fireplace that had expanded for him. "24 Rose Place, Godric Hollow," he said clearly and was engulfed by flames.

"All right. We're going to go together, so we'll have to stay close okay. Be sure to keep your elbows in as I'm sure you know," Remus mumbled, a bit embarrassed by the situation. He threw in a liberal amount of floo powder and helped her into the flames. She shivered as the flames tickled her legs and glanced at him. His face reddened as he squeezed in behind her holding her arms in, covered by his, in case they met with one of those rough fireplaces that seemed to jump out just so they could hit you.

"24 Rose Place, Godric Hollow," he stated. He tightened his arms around her as the fireplaces began whirling by. He frowned as she pressed back against him, probably because the closeness of the fit. He stood as steady as possible so he didn't get thrown back and out onto the wrong mantel. He wondered if she even realized that but realized himself that she was on a lot of medication, a few of which were sure to make her nervous and edgy despite the variety of calming drafts used. The back of her head hit his shoulder and she stopped pushing just turned her cheek to move further from the fireplaces. The fireplace they were headed to had a kick to it which Remus remembered well. They were suddenly thrown out of the fireplace, but Sirius was there. He caught her and Remus stumbled a bit keeping himself on his feet.

The sweet smell of peppermint and gingerbread hit him like a wave and the warmth of the Potter residence washed over him, immediately making him feel safe. It was as if it was straight out of a book of Christmas Stories. A small sigh left Hermione as the same smells hit her. He looked over his shoulder to see her visibly relax as if she were tasting the very magical aura of this place.

Sirius watched as Remus sat down tiredly on the sofa wincing and gripping his leg. "Come on," Sirius said to the girl. "I'll take you upstairs. You need to rest." Hermione nodded; moving toward the stairs reluctantly, with a concerned glance back at Remus, but she accepted his help through a small kitchen then up a set of stairs onto the second level. They went into the first room on the right at the top of the stairs and Sirius left her there after seeing her suitably settled in the guest bed.

Well. There we go. For those of you who read my other stories, relax. I have 140-some pages written. All I have to do is edit here and there then post them. Trust me, you'll love it. There won't be HG/RL action for a while for obvious reasons (ie. they just met, but the plot definitely thickens in my next chapter). Review and I'll update within the next two days!


	2. A Truth Revealed

And now we get on with it. When we left, Hermione had been taken up to the guest bedroom with a bit of assistance from Sirius. Yay! So, yes... where am I? Just playing.

Disclaimer: It's not mine

I really hope you like this one. It was a bit hard for me to get right. I'm pretty sure I rewrote this particular section at least three times. I hope you review! Honestly four a chapter from now on and I'll update within three days, at least until I run out of about 14 chapters worth... not likely. to happen very soon.

"She's a pretty one, isn't she?" Sirius mumbled as he entered the living room. Remus had peeled his robe sleeve off of his bloodied arm and was currently attempting to perform healing charms.

Remus looked up at his friend for a moment. "I suppose she is," he said after a pause. "She's an order member you realize."

"I got that vibe from the way James was acting," Sirius replied, nodding. "What do you suppose she does? Dumbledore didn't seem to even recognize her." Sirius trailed off, watching his friend struggle with his wand in the wrong hand. His werewolf friend was becoming more and more aggravated. "You should probably wait for James," Sirius pointed out.

"I'll be fine," Remus snapped, harshly. The room was quiet for a long moment. Remus and Sirius both seemed surprised at Remus' behavior. "I'm sorry mate," Remus mumbled after the long, drawn out silence. Sirius nodded, and the silence continued. Remus had stopped trying to heal himself. He sat very still, a strange look in his eyes. "Sirius… I did bite her."

"She was already a werewolf, Remus, and from the looks of you, she bit back," Sirius said.

"If she hadn't been… I'm realizing more and more how childish we've been. It's dangerous what we've been doing. If that had happened at Hogwarts, I-" Remus trailed off. "How was it that we were both in that forest at the same time, do you reckon? Two werewolves who were both on Dumbledore's side, so close to the order. How did that happen?" he asked.

"Dunno mate. That is strange though," Sirius admitted. "Maybe she-" Sirius was cut off by a fire springing up high in the fireplace and the thin and exuberant Mrs. Potter stomped in, followed by Lily and finally James.

"Well where is the poor darling? I have to make her feel welcome," the kind old woman said compassionately.

"She's in the guest room but I think she is asleep. She was pretty tired," Sirius said.

"Come on then, Remus. Up to the guest room, you go. I have to get those little scratches all healed up right quick, now don't I?" the woman said. Remus nodded while Sirius and James chuckled at her calling Remus' injuries "scratches". He limped after her. She walked rather quickly for her supposedly fragile age and Remus had to add a few hops in to keep up with the pace. She went to the bathroom the next door to the guest room, presumably to grab a potion.

He walked slowly to the guest door and turned the handle quietly. He pushed it open a crack and looked in at her. She looked rather peaceful. Obviously James had done a good job of healing her, because she didn't look to be in pain. Something pulled at him though. As he watched her that strange feeling washed over him. He felt like she was someone he should know, like she was someone he was connected to. He wondered if that had something to do with their similar condition.

"Move along Remus, move along dear," Mrs. Potters voice rang in his ears. Remus turned to see that she had an armful of potions. He stepped aside quickly while she turned her back to the door and pushed it open, walking in. She moved swiftly to the small sink in the corner of the room and set the potions down. The guest room also doubled as a laboratory, for making potions and such. She never much liked the idea of using a kitchen as a potions office. She thought it dangerous and downright foolish.

The sweet Mrs. Potter had a tirade for many things and she could probably go on for an hour on the infinite dangers of mixing cooking and brewing areas. She had been a journalist for Potions Today years ago and still dabbled in potions, most that would assist in house chores or quick healing for the home to make Witch's lives easier. She was well-known for her ingenious brews and passed that love for helping people on to her son. Most had believed that James would one day go into mediwizardry with emphasis on healing potions, but that was before the war happened. After that, everything became complicated. His father came out of retirement to rejoin the Aurors as a strategist. Remus had always wondered at how much James' family contributed to the order that wasn't supposed to exist.

Mrs. Potter pulled down a pot and began mixing bottles into it, flicking her wand to heat it up. She pushed a potion into Remus' hand telling him to drink it, and opened a jar that contained a blue-colored paste which she began to smother over his open wounds rather carefully, quite conscious the pain it caused Remus. She was a gentle woman, doted on James endlessly and always went out of her way to take care of not just James but his friends as well.

"Now you stay here, rest and let that do its work, understood?" she said. "When she wakes up, have her drink this potion and this," she said, pressing a closed vial into his hands before pouring a cup of whatever she had brewed in the pot. He nodded. She waved her wand and transfigured an empty dresser into a second bed. She moved a few things to make it fit nicely beside the other.

"I'll send James up in a bit to check on the two of you," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," Remus replied.

"Get some sleep, Remus dear," she said, her voice finally taking on its motherly tone again. "You've had a long night darling."

Remus' face reddened as he sat down on the bed that she had transfigured. He looked over at Hermione, who now had her back to him. What if she had just been any normal girl? Would she hate him right now? He still didn't know how she knew their names… or who Harry was. She had used that name when she met them. Perhaps he was her boyfriend or her brother. He removed his shoes and looked at his leg. He used some of the paste Mrs. Potter had used on his arm and put it on the front of his shin, where his skin had been badly damaged. The pain was worse than anything he could remember, due to all the nerves in that area, but he was used to dealing with pain, plenty of pain. He lied down and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to take him.

Remus felt a very loud noise jerk him into consciousness. His eyes shot to the small girl in the bed beside him. He could see her through the darkness. She had kicked the covers off of her and was turning about. "Get away, get off! Harry! Harry I'll get there! Get off of me! No! Harry!" she quite near shouted. He shoved his covers off and hurried to the side of her bed. He was confused about what to do.

He placed a hand on each of her shoulders. "Hermione, wake up," he said. "Hermione!" he said a bit louder, shaking her, gently. Suddenly he saw her eyes open and her body stopped flailing about. She continued to shake horribly. He was shocked as she attached herself to him. She clutched his neck, holding on tightly.

She was crying. "Remus I had it again, that terrible dream," she sobbed. He supported himself by placing a knee on the bed as he wrapped his arms around her a bit awkwardly.

The door swung open and Remus looked up to see Lily in the doorway. The light flooded in from outside so she didn't need to flip the room light on. "Remus, she's…" Remus shook his head, holding on as she cried into his shoulder, gripping her a bit more tightly as he became more accustomed to the contact.

"I'll go get Mrs. Potter," Lily whispered. Remus again shook his head no. Lily stepped in, closing the door behind her. She walked to the sink where the cup Mrs. Potter had left still sat. She pulled out her wand and warmed it. Remus could tell that there was something going on downstairs. He could hear it, the effects of Lycanthropy still gripping him.

"Mrs. Potter," Hermione whispered. Her hands loosened around Remus, before she slid them away, looking down ashamed at her own behavior. She should have realize, should have remembered. She didn't know what to say. She noticed Lily finally as the girl walked towards them with a steaming cup. She stared at the girl for a long moment, taking her in. She had been able to tell who she was the moment their eyes met. She knew those eyes perfectly.

"You're all right?" Remus asked, tilting her chin upwards. Hermione pulled her face away, the sight of his young and less careworn face making her sad somehow, making her want to cry because she knew that no matter how well she knew those eyes, he was not the same person she knew years from now, not the same person who had taught her defense against the dark arts or fought so many battles against the death eaters at her side.

"Remus, the vial," Lily said, nodding towards the side table. "Hermione, right?" she asked.

"Yes," Hermione whispered her voice barely audible to Lily's ears.

"You have to drink that vial and then this cup, okay?" Lily asked. Remus held the vial out to her. She took it, pulled off the stopper and downed it. She took the cup from Lily and sipped it a bit.

"Is James around?" she asked faintly.

"He is downstairs. They are having an important meeting," Lily said.

"So the order is here... and Dumbledore?" she asked, softly. Lily nodded slowly in affirmation. Hermione nodded as well. She slipped out the other side of the bed on the door side and slowly reached down and pulled her shoes on, standing up.

"Wait," Remus said. "You'll pass out!" Hermione realized this as all the blood seemed to leave her brain.

"Do you have any Galadel Leafs?" Hermione questioned, looking at Lily, who frowned turning towards the cabinet.

"Lumos," she whispered, and the tip of her wand lit up. She looked through the stores. "Galadel Leafs, right here," Lily said.

Lily said, a bit surprised, but she brought three leafs to Hermione who was sitting again on the bed. Remus had come around to stand between her and the door as well.

Hermione took a few of the leaves and put them in her mouth, chewing on them. She took a long drink, gulping down the potion. When she stood, it was much steadier. She conjured a set of robes onto herself before pushing Remus lightly out of the way and walking to the door.

"You're going to make yourself sick," Remus argued.

"I'll be fine," she said, softly. She stepped out into the bright hallway and looked around, catching sight of the top landing of the stairs. She walked to it, and began to descend, Lily and Remus walking very close behind her. Remus held one hand out, right behind her arm, ready to grab her when she collapsed, but she didn't.

"She seems very intelligent from what I've seen so far and she's been through some nasty things. We might as well let her do it," James was saying.

"If we are going to lose it will not matter in any case," another person added in.

"From what you told us, James, she seems to have been tortured extensively. No one can be stable after something like that," a deep voice argued.

"I don't want my life decided by some snot nosed little girl. We don't even know if she actually exists. I want to know if she's even a real person not one of them," a wizard growled.

"I do not care what you want," Hermione broke in, coldly, as she reached the bottom of the stairs

Eyes turned to her. "Lily, you were supposed to make sure she was alright, not bring her down here," a woman near the back said.

"What were we going to do, stun her?" Remus snapped, entering the room fully and limping to the seat beside James. The room was full of witches and wizards, some seated, some standing. James, for one, was on his feet, facing off with a seasoned auror.

Someone opened their mouth to speak, but Hermione didn't even give them a chance. "My name is Hermione Jean Granger and my best friends were Harry James Potter and Ronald Artemis Weasley. I was born in the 1980's. My favorite professor at Hogwarts was named Deputy Headmistress in 1991 and remained so during my tenure there: Minerva McGonagall. She was kissed by dementors 6 months after what would have been my seventh year at Hogwarts.

"I worked for the Order of the Phoenix until it was finally ended with the death of former Hogwarts professor Remus J. Lupin, by the hand of Lucius Malfoy. He died to save someone very close to him," her voice was steady and purposeful. She couldn't allow emotion in now. No, she couldn't feel it yet. She had to finish. "Remus had been the third and last leader of what became not a group of people defending their world, but a group of people who were rebelling against the real world, Voldemort's world.

"Voldemort took over the Ministry first and soon after attempted to kill the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Professor Severus S. Snape who was chosen implicitly by the former Hogwarts Headmaster, who had been assassinated in a death eater invasion of Hogwarts the last month of my sixth year at Hogwarts. Severus survived to live on and would later sacrifice his life to save a former student.

"More pertinent information for those of you in this room would be that on the 31 of October, in 1981 Voldemort will be beaten back at the cost of James Potter and Lily Evans Potter's lives, but he will not be defeated. He will reemerge thirteen years from his downfall only to turn the wizarding world upside down which will lead to an end of the free wizarding world."

The ogling was something else. If one were to mess with time, it was an unspoken rule that that person would not divulge even a tiny detail, but as she dropped name after name, it was clear that this girl really intended to do as she said and change the future.

"That's how you knew our names," Sirius said. "You know all of us…"

"I know Remus and yourself, James' son, but not him, the Weasleys, Moody, and only a handful more due to all the losses faced through the duration of this... Voldemort's first reign and a few of those after. Many of you, I know only through pictures and stories, nothing more. When I say that we lose, we lose down to the very last two members and I am the only one standing in this room," Hermione said.

Questions broke out instantaneously, "Remus Lupin was head of the Order?" "Dumbledore was defeated?" "James has a son?" and many more of the like, but Hermione did not answer one of them. She stood, staring at the group, with her arms across her chest, waiting until some order was apparent. It took a while but finally Dumbledore stepped in.

"QUIET!" he shouted. Everyone quieted instantly, eyes going to the headmaster. He was staring at her with no twinkle in his usually sparkling eyes. His blue orbs were hard. He had not given her permission to do this. He had not worked through all the possibilities, but for once, she didn't care what he thought. She had seen what happened the last time he had all the power over their side, all the decisions. He was a great man, but he had faults just like the rest of them.

Hermione reached into her pocket pulling out a small picture. It was a very old picture from her own time, a picture of the Order. She handed it to Dumbledore, silently. He stared down at it.

Hermione had two other pictures, one of the order, what was left of it at least, and the other a picture of Hogwarts in ruins after the final battle, where they'd lost so many, including Harry. She had it still, everyone had been carrying a copy of that picture by the end, to remind them of their lost home. She handed the DA picture to Sirius and the picture of Hogwarts to Diggle.

"This war will continue a long time. Do you want your children to have to face this monster? Do you want to be responsible for their deaths as well as your own? I know most of your children, if you lived long enough to have them and even then, many were faced with horrors even some of you couldn't imagine."

"How do we know that you can stop it, that you can change any of it?" Sirius asked, staring down that the picture, realizing quickly that these were the next generation and in the front center a haunted version of James' face was there, a scrawny boy of about sixteen.

"Not even I know, but I can try, for them… for my friends," Hermione said, pointing at the picture in Sirius' hands. "You have to understand. I lost the people I love, all of them. I lost my family, my best friends, and then I lost my husband," her voice cracked slightly on the last word. She drew a weak breath before continuing. "These are all people connected to you in some way. You may not realize it, but my grief is also yours," Hermione said.

Sirius handed the picture he held to James who looked to be one of the most stricken. His eyes locked on the boy in the center of the picture, a boy that looked so much like him, a small hesitant smile dawning on his tired face as a tall red-haired boy clapped him on the back a few times and Hermione rolled her eyes at the red-head, but laughed all the same. Lily peered over his shoulder. When she saw the boy, she gripped her boyfriend's shoulder tightly.

"Is he…?" Lily began.

"He is yours as well," Hermione nodded, tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She had tried to remain hardened against these emotions, and had tried to be guarded until this point. She couldn't help the break in her voice when she spoke again, "Mi- missed you both very much."

"Missed…" Lily whispered, her tone a bit higher than normal.

"I will be in London," Hermione said. Remus placed his wand on the table, making sure it made a sound definite enough for her to notice. She turned. "Thank you," she whispered. "Owl me if you change your minds about me changing this future." In an instant she was gone.

"Remus… she was your…" Sirius trailed off, having received the picture of the Order. Remus frowned at him.

Sirius held the Order picture out to him. Remus took it, carefully. It was a moving picture, and his eyes swept for himself. There, off to the right, Remus stood directly behind Hermione, who was leaning back against him, eyes a bit swollen and features very pale. The small picture showed Hermione squeezing his arm gently where it was wrapped around her protectively, gripping her opposite shoulder, then letting go and shaking a red-head's shoulder, giving him tearful smile before looking at Remus again then straight ahead. Remus was holding onto her tightly, possessively even, a shadow of a forced, tired smile on his pale, scarred face as he rested his chin on the top of her head. The attention of the room seemed to be on Remus, who sat in shock. He couldn't tear his eyes away.

"If you'd noticed, she was wearing a ring," Sirius said, his voice careful, almost unsure. It was as if he didn't know what kind of reaction that he was going to get from his normally withdrawn friend. Remus stood up and walked out, shoving the picture into Marlene's hands as he went. It seemed that not even Remus knew how Remus should react to this situation. It was one that likely no one had ever had to face this exact dilemma. There was no precedent for it.

"Dumbledore, what are we going to do?" Minerva asked.

"Minerva, I don't know what we can do, but this girl cannot be much older than twenty and she has already been widowed and lost everyone she has ever loved. Perhaps she is the only one who can truly know the truth and severity of this situation. We all do agree that these pictures are legitimate of course?" Dumbledore said.

"If that isn't James Potter's son, than my name ain't Alaster Moody," Moody growled, passing the DA picture on to someone else. "I don't need to see her full of veritaserum to tell ye that she's sincere. Also, no death eater can fake that marking, not one."

"We agree then? We agree that she belongs with us?" Dumbledore asked. No one countered that, and the meeting was soon dispersed.

Lily went into the kitchen a few minutes later to find Remus alone and bent over the sink, his breathing quite forced and his shoulders slumped. "That's why she held onto me. She thought I was…"

"She thought you were who you are, Remus," Lily said.

"I don't even know her, but to her I'm-" Remus couldn't even talk anymore. He turned away from the sink and walked out, brushing past Lily on the way.

"Remus, you don't know that she thinks like that! You don't even know her!" Lily called after him.

Hermione wondered how long it would take them to find her. She wasn't concealing her position. She had one of their wands so it should be a simple task. It wouldn't take too long to locate Remus' wand along with herself. Knockturn Alley probably wasn't the safest place to venture to, but she really didn't care too much at the moment. They'd give her alcohol without asking for identification, which she didn't have so she was satisfied.

The former Gryffindor held a small picture in one hand and a bottle in the other, her body shaking horribly. Her hands were impossible to steady. She felt like crying and falling apart, but she couldn't. It still wasn't time to break, not here, not now.

Hermione drew a shaky breath and poured the steaming drink into a shot glass, spilling some on the table. She set down the picture and the bottle and lifted the shot glass, looking at it for a moment before downing it in one go. The pain in her body was nothing to her mental turmoil. She glanced around nervously, hand going for her wand whenever she caught someone's eye. Paranoia wasn't enough to describe what she was feeling at the moment.

She did have a reason for drinking. The alcohol would counteract the negative effects of the dangerous ingredients she'd ingested earlier. Reason or not, she'd had plenty by now and still her pain hadn't abated. She dropped the glass down and turned the bottle idly in her hand. She looked at the picture again, frowning at the disheartened face of the man she had fallen in love with.

It hurt… seeing him, but she was no child. She knew well that the younger version of her Remus wasn't hers, not in the least. The youthful brightness hanging on in his eyes told her that he wasn't the same man. She didn't deserve him anyhow. She'd failed so miserably in her short years as a member of the order he'd given his life for. What hurt was that she would have to accept that no one knew anything about her. To Remus, she was a werewolf, but that was the only trait that they shared. She wondered what her Remus would have thought if he found out that Greyback had turned her after he had been killed. She drank another glass of fire whiskey.

Damn it, what about Ginny? Was she still there, in that hell? Maybe she was dead. She wondered who she was thinking of there. Did she believe Ginny was dead or herself. Her thoughts were too scattered, too confusing. She felt lost and scared. A sick feeling rose within her and she wished... god, she didn't know what she wished. She did wish she could turn off her brain, make it all stop, but she couldn't. She glanced to the right, as a shadow moved across the bar. She tapped her fingers by the wand, before downing another glass.

She felt her eyes water, but it wasn't from the burn of the rather potent alcohol. It was from the thought of what Remus would do if he were to see her now. He would be so furious with her, drinking away her problems. She wanted to be strong, to not think about Harry, Ron, and all of the others that she lost to the war, but their faces swam around her. She could almost see them, all standing in this small pub, all screaming at her, asking why she didn't die, why she was the one given the second chance. She saw a bloody Ginny's face right before hers, could hear her asking why she'd left her, why she'd left her behind.

Her small stash of pictures was what had kept her and Ginny from giving in during their time in that filthy cell. The longer they were there, the only thing that kept them alive was the thought that if they were to give up, they would be disgracing everyone in those pictures, finally giving in to what they had fought so hard, what the whole order had died for. They both felt like they'd failed their friends, failed their order by staying alive, but couldn't let themselves die now. It wasn't because they felt they deserved the punishment, but they were actually just scared of death. They had considered it so many times, They'd do it together, but they both knew that they couldn't go through with it. They had to live on. They had to remember.

The sight of the older generation had disturbed Hermione, but not hurt her. She couldn't feel worse than she already did. The pain was indescribable. Suddenly her whole body seized and she dropped the full glass she'd been holding. She waited for the jerks to stop before slamming her fist down, an after-effect of prolonged Cruciatus. Maybe she should have just broke, just fallen apart like the Longbottoms so long ago... or was it long ago. It hadn't happened where she was. She sighed. Bellatrix Lestrange had always stopped short of making them insane. Hermione snorted. Well, she felt insane still. Maybe that was the wrong way to put it.

Hermione thought about what was going to happen now. She knew quite well how the order operated. She could even explain the difference between the ways it worked in this time as opposed to her own. In this generation of the order, new members were assigned a handler. She was quite certain that James would be hers.

As if to solidify that thought, the bell at the door rang out and she could feel his presence in the room, could practically taste his magic in the air, one so reminiscent of Harry's magical aura. He smelled of freshly-mown grass and a fresh, crisp smell that came from a flier. There as also a hint of the chemicals used in a broom-servicing kit, like the one she'd bought Harry so long ago. He must have treated his broom today. Since she had become a werewolf, her senses when she was a plain witch were much heightened including her magical senses, though that might have come from being locked up so long without a wand. The ability to categorize and recognize magic was a serious talent for a powerful wizard or witch, but the time she'd spent in the darkness had allowed her to understand the way her magic was intertwined with everyone she knew and everyone she'd known. The connections were real, they were tangible.

"James," she muttered, gruffly, as a pair of feet stopped just behind her chair.

"So this is him?" James asked, placing a hand on the picture in front of her. Her eyes shot up to the picture. "He looks like hell," James mumbled. Hermione nodded to the seat across from her as she drank yet another glass of the fire-whiskey before looking up at James.

"That was taken a few days after Minerva's death. One of the eldest Weasleys had died the week before as well, Charlie. None of us were at our best, but Susan just kept insisting that pictures would make us all feel better. We all knew that she took them so that when someone died we could have something to remember them by. It helped her more than us to be honest," Hermione muttered.

"So, Professor McGonagall became… after…" James trailed off.

"Yes, and the day this picture was taken, we chose Remus," Hermione said, this time not bothering to pour the glass. Instead she took a long drink from the bottle.

"Must be terrible, losing everyone you know and then waking up to have half of them back none of them remembering you," James said.

"To be honest, aside from Remus, seeing you hurt the most. Harry... was my rock. He was the symbol of hope for the survival of our entire way of life. Even with all of this on his shoulders, he was the person who stood tall through it all," Hermione said. 'Only had few cracks in his defenses,' she thought to herself, remembering how angry he could get, how sullen he was when he thought no one was paying attention

"He was Gryffindor wasn't he?" James asked.

"He was Quidditch Captain at fifteen. He would have been Head Boy, if Dumbledore hadn't been killed, but after that it wasn't safe for him at Hogwarts," Hermione said, bitterness in her tone. She was quiet for a few minutes, but James seemed to understand that she wasn't done. "He was the wizarding world's hero, beat the ghost of Voldemort three separate times, before he was actually resurrected. He didn't do it because he wanted to. God knows he wanted to be normal, but he was the person the wizarding world looked to, only person they could look to even though he was so young. They probably would have tried to make him minister if it had happened a decade later," Hermione said, chuckling sourly. "We held out for a couple years, hiding... unable to do much to fight anymore. Once Harry died, there wasn't much Remus could do."

Hermione's eyes glazed over, at the memory of Remus carrying Harry's broken body across the battlefield, no spells being shot. Not even the dark lord had uttered a curse as Harry's body was walked ceremoniously from the tumult, though his sickening laughter had lingered in the air. This was a form of respect that no one would have ever expected the dark lord capable of but somehow, the moment Harry fell, it was if time stopped. Everyone stopped fighting, on both sides. Remus had laid Harry down at her feet, unable to look at her or Ron. Oh, she could remember how Ron screamed in frustration and agony. The death eaters had all disapparated, leaving them for the time with their fallen hero, letting it all sink in. Hermione's only memory was holding Harry was close as she could, trying to make him wake from the sleep from which he would never recover.

Hermione let out a violent row of coughs, the fire whiskey finally starting to tear at her throat. She took a deep breath afterwards, sliding Remus' wand across the table to James, who accepted it, eye following her shaking hand, but he didn't comment on it.

"It's winter vacation. We are about to start our final term at Hogwarts. Dumbledore has already made the arrangements to add you to the class as a transfer student if you are up to it," James said.

Hermione snorted. "I really look that young do I?"

"You look a bit older, but it shouldn't cause any disturbances," James shrugged, his eyes clearly on the bottle in front of her not the witch herself.

"Don't worry, doesn't happen too much," Hermione said sardonically. "It's been a couple years since I left Hogwarts so I might be a little rusty, but I'll give it a try."

"You'll have to take your OWL's before the school is back in session," James told her.

"That's hardly enough time to prepare for such an important exam!" Hermione said. The slight slur of her words was the only indication that she wasn't fifteen again awaiting that dreadful test.

"Order at Seventeen, best friend of my son? I think you'll do fine," James said. "Come on, let's get you home."

"Don't have one of those if you hadn't noticed," Hermione grumbled, gripping the bottle of fire whiskey again. James grabbed it tightly and pulled it from her hand.

"You do now," he told her, pulling her to her feet. She was rather wobbly in her inebriated state, though before she had shown little signs of being intoxicated. Hermione let him lead her to the fireplace and didn't much care where she was going. The only thought in her whirling mind was that she had a home… she had a home.

Well, now. Some deeper stuff. I'm sure you HG/RL fans are intrigued. Hmmm... Hermione and Remus were together once... hmm... REVIEW NOW!


	3. A Career Begun

All right. Bear with me. This is one of those chapters of explanation and reflection. Sirius is in this more than Remus... but it is important to show that Hermione is really looking for a friend and James and Sirius can be that for her. Sirius would just be one of those people I think a lost, disheartened Hermione might connect to. Anyhow, enjoy the story.

Please, tell me what you think. If you love it, just say so. If you hate it... well why are you reading still? If you dislike something tell me why. I know I have a lot of chapters coming. I've received a few questionable comments regarding my lack of development of characters. Calm yourselves, my friends. You've only seen two chapters. There is much more to come!

A week later and Hermione had not left the house at all. Lily had brought her some clothes to wear. They were about the same size. Hermione still hadn't shown herself often. Mrs. Potter saw her every day, taking her some food at mealtime and trying to convince her to eat it, though Hermione's state was such that even when she did eat, her stomach could hardly take much and she was prone to losing it half an hour after. She spent most of her time up in her room and when she did come own it was to collect books from the small library.

James wondered what it was she was doing up there, but didn't try to pry. She seemed shy and very quiet, though when she'd spoken before the order and after in the bar, she'd been so passionate, opinionated even. He knew she was dealing with a lot and didn't think it was right to get involved. Tormented whispers through the house ventilation of Ginny and Azkaban haunted tormented many of their evenings.

Her poor health was such she couldn't spend much time on her feet according to Mrs. potter. She was getting better with his mother's care, but he hardly saw her anymore either. She was often up in the room with Hermione, talking to her, or brewing from the smells that came out of there. He'd fetched a book for them from Diagon Alley once, though he hadn't seen what it had been exactly. It had been wrapped and paid by owl.

He wondered who she'd been before all of this. She was extremely smart. He knew that much from the few conversations he'd had wither her. Sometimes a spark lit in her and he thought he might be seeing a glimpse of her former personality. Every once in a while she'd come down for a meal and he'd get to witness her keen wit and sense of humor but there was always that cloud that seemed to hang over her head. She slept horribly and wouldn't take anything for it. When he'd asked where she had been before this happened, she'd only dodged the question and pressed on another topic. He'd asked his mother, who had said, she'd had some very rough times in some very bad places.

The way she always looked around the kitchen before finally settling into a chair worried him, but sometimes she could seem almost completely normal, like when Sirius was around for instance. He could bring out a side of her that he couldn't have imagined. She and he would go on for hours arguing back and forth often about house elves or pureblood hierarchy or other random subjects along those lines. It was rather funny to watch them go at it, actually. It was rarely serious, but he could imagine if it had been it would be a scary thing to behold.

Remus had become quite moody since she had arrived in their lives actually. He had pulled away a bit. It was as if he was afraid to be around. He'd come over once or twice and one time stayed for lunch. She'd come down halfway through and sat by Sirius with a cup of tea talking to him quietly. Remus had kept glancing her way suspiciously and it had gotten to a point where she'd just left, seeming aggravated.

James walked into the library on a boring afternoon to find her sitting in one of the comfortable chairs near the back of the room. He smiled at her, glad that she hadn't decided to keep to that dark room. She returned his smile sincerely. He was glad to see the color in her cheeks. "What are you reading?" he asked.

She raised the cover for him to see, "Potions," she said, shrugging. Her voice was a bit rough, probably from her poor health or lack of sleep. He nodded. "How'd your fly go?" she asked, knowing he'd gone out on his broom about an hour ago.

"Very cold," James chuckled, rubbing his hands together. "It started snowing."

"Really?" Hermione asked, closing her book with her hand still in to keep her place. A look almost resembling wonder dawned on her pretty face.

"Yep, sun's still out though. You want to-" he stopped as she was already standing and making her way across the room to the door. She walked across the hall and through the kitchen, opening the back door and stepping out and looking around at everything. She took a few steps out across the porch.

Sirius glanced out the window of James' room, eyes locking on a small figure exiting the house. He walked to the window, leaning against the wall. He smiled, watching her walk off the porch, her feet disappearing under the snow. His smile faded to a contemplative look as her eyes took it all in as if she had never seen snow before. James was watching her from the porch. Sirius' eyes were locked on the wonder on her face. Her eyes were sparkling with tears, but they weren't sad for once. There was something like hope. She was beautiful, captivating. He looked across James' room to see the last of his things here. He went over and grabbed a cloak, walking quickly from the room and taking the stairs three at a time.

Hermione looked over her shoulder as a a cloak was placed over her shoulders. Her eyes met Sirius' and she smiled, before walking out further, the snow whirling around them. James stayed behind, watching them. "Harry loved snow," she whispered. He glanced at her to see a smile on her face. "Ron absolutely hated it... his brother used to get him in the face with snowballs when he wasn't paying attention."

"You loved them a lot," he whispered.

"You have James... I have them. Can't even really compare your relationship with Peter or Remus to Harry, Ron, and me. We were forever," she said.

"And Remus?" Sirius asked.

"I loved him too, a different way. He was brave and kind, and he needed me as much as I needed him," she said, her expression softening.

"And my Remus?" Sirius questioned

"Your Remus is not the same man, Sirius," she whispered.

"How so?" Sirius asked.

"Young, desperate to be accepted at all costs, usually by you and James. Also, he avoids me like I'm Voldemort himself. Don't think I haven't noticed that," she said, with a smile glad that he did not cringe at the use of the dark lord's name. "I'm insane not incompetent," she joked. Sirius laughed in earnest.

"James, let's all go for a walk," she suggested. He agreed readily and started off together, Hermione feeling all the years and the pain retreat within her for later. Now she would let herself be young, let herself live, if at least for a few hours.

James felt Hermione grab his hand the moment she stepped out of the fireplace. She looked around nervously, shrinking against his side. This was the furthest she'd been away from Godric's Hollow since she'd arrived there and he doubted she had few memories in this village. They walked down the street, Hermione's right hand gripping her wand in her pocket, while her left clutched James' tightly. His mum was going to take her, but fell ill so she sent James in her place.

"Here we go," he said, looking down at the paper. "Candice's Cauldron Cosmetics." She nodded, following him in. Her eyes darted around the packed shop keenly as if looking for threats. He pulled her through the crowd, allowing her to clutch his hand with both of hers now as they couldn't walk side-by-side.

"Candice?" James asked the lady at the desk.

"Hermione, I presume?" she said, her eyes falling on Hermione. "Your skills come highly praised, Mrs. Ethel Potter indeed! You must be James, then. She said she was sending her with her son. Come, let me show you to the back. We have a brewing test, I'm sure you understand. Can't put you on the books without one."

"I understand," Hermione said as they followed her into a back room that led to a hallway that led to a large laboratory. There were three wizards there, laughing and joking over their lunch.

"Gentlemen, this is James Potter and his friend Miss Hermione Granger," Candice said, sweetly.

"Ernie," one man said, stepping forward quickly to hold out his hand to Hermione, after he'd wiped off some crumbs from his sandwich. She smiled, releasing James' wrist with her right hand and taking the man's hand, shaking it. "This is Lance and Abbott. We're just the help. Don't pay any attention to us."

"They brew all the potions that need replenishing, all three of them potions masters, but don't let that bother you. Consultants don't have to be certified. This test is of course just a formality. The potions Mrs. Potter showed me were quite good," she said.

"Thank you," Hermione said, finally releasing James' hand as Candice waved her over to a cauldron.

"Anti-wart paste," she said. "The instructions and ingredients are on this table. All you have to do is prove your ability to complete the brew. It should be simple for you. The potions you've already created were quite good." There was a nod of consensus from the young potions masters.

Hermione nodded, watching James settle down at the table with the three young potions masters. It seemed one of them used to be on the Gryffindor Quidditch team during James' third and fourth years so he had enough to keep him preoccupied as she brewed.

Hermione had never had much interest in the cosmetic potions industry, but her potions skills enough to allow her to improve on a few potions that Mrs. Potter had shown her. With Mrs. Potter's help, she'd been able to accomplish her work with the potions and had gotten this test for which she was grateful. She brewed swiftly. The potion took about an hour and a half to complete and one of the professionals was watching her the entire time.

Hermione had learned from "the half-blood prince" that when you know your potions well enough, modifying the brew was a simple task and could make an amazing difference. She and James left the potion with Candice, who had written two days later absolutely thrilled. Her potion had been able to not only remove warts but also make the skin soft and remove any discoloration of the skin where applied.

Hermione didn't have to wonder why such a position hadn't been pertinent in her time, but ironically that buck-toothed, frizzy-haired book worm had a knack for manipulating ingredients to form beauty products. Who knew? She may have been an awkward little girl, but gone was the Hermione who would hide in Harry's shadow. Born was the woman who had faced a horde of death eaters and lived to tell the story.

Hermione had been accepted as a consultant and offered quite a substantial amount of money for the potions she'd already given, including the modified Anti-Wart Paste.

She had gone with a few days later with Sirius to open an account at Gringotts. The galleons and sickles were transferred the moment the vault was made official and Hermione had been able to afford all her school things, including a wand which she'd been sorely lacking. She was surprised when it wasn't the same wand she'd received when she was eleven. It was holly, eleven inches, with unicorn hair core. It was pliable unlike the rigid wand she'd had long ago. The wand chose the wizard though, and that showed Hermione how much she really had changed. They had arrived back at Godric's Hollow around dinner and Hermione had eaten nearly half of what Mrs. Potter put on her plate before going up to her room to bed. She woke a few hours after she'd fallen asleep however and headed down to the kitchen.

Hermione looked around the dark kitchen but no one was there it seemed, but she could hear the soft breathing. Finally, at the breakfast nook in the corner she saw someone. It seemed like he was waiting there for her. He looked over his shoulder at her then faced the wall again. She recognized Sirius and relaxed. She walked across the room and filled a glass of water before walking around and sitting beside him. "What's wrong?" she questioned; her voice was timid and quiet.

He took a few moments to respond. "You said that my life… was the worst you could think of," the black-eyed marauder said, his voice dark and gruff.

"I did, save perhaps all that Harry had to go through" Hermione said. She felt herself unconsciously gulp at the thought of telling Sirius Black of his life. He hadn't asked her before now, but she wasn't going to lie to him about how bad it was.

"What happened?" he asked.

"You don't want to know," Hermione said, looking down at her hands.

"I do, all of it," Sirius said.

"Are you sure?" Hermione asked, gently. Sirius nodded stiffly. "It started about a year from now. Things began to get a little rougher. There is a traitor in the order and the marauders begin to break apart."

"Break apart?" Sirius asked, faintly.

"You think Remus is the inside person. Another year and James and Lily are targeted by the dark lord. They have to go into hiding and their secret keeper must be chosen. James chose you of course," Hermione said.

"What happened?" Sirius said, almost unable to breathe.

"You switched at last minute, forced the secret on Peter, because you thought Voldemort wouldn't suspect him with holding the secret," Hermione said.

"Does Peter get killed?" Sirius asked, going very pale.

"Peter is not someone you need to be worrying about right now, Sirius," Hermione whispered in an almost painfully quiet voice. She looked away, her eyes piercing the night beyond the kitchen window.

"What do you… Peter would never betray James and Lily!" Sirius hissed. She sat silently for a few moments, trying to decide the best way to respond to that.

"For all you know, he already has. If you can save your friend, that is good, but he framed you, blowing up a street full of innocent bystanders, muggles and wizards, so you were named as Voldemort's-"

"Don't say that name," Sirius snapped. She sighed, remembering how he hadn't minded when she'd said it before. He didn't want to hear the rest of the sentence was the real problem but she wouldn't let him get away with avoiding the rest. He'd asked.

"As his right hand man and sentenced to life in maximum security Azkaban. You were there for 12 years before breaking yourself out, while Peter went free and Harry grew up with no family. Remus never really pulled his life back together until you came back; hard for werewolves in our times, perhaps harder than it is in yours."

"Broken out of Azkaban. How could I have... But- I wasn't in that picture, the one with the order that you showed us," Sirius said, his voice becoming very solemn again.

"That is because you died. Two years after you broke free from that prison..." He looked at her sharply at that, earning a dark smile. "Another story entirely... you were killed by Bel-" her voice broke. She didn't think she could say that name. It was too painful, brought up to many horrible memories. "You were killed by your eldest cousin, and only after your death did the minister of magic accept that you were innocent of the crimes against you. You spent the last year of your life locked up in Black Manor, seen only by the innermost members of the order, a few Weasleys, myself and Harry," Hermione said.

Sirius stood up, pacing back and forth across the kitchen floor, his insides twisting painfully. He ran his hands through his silky black hair shakily. "Peter… he's just…" Sirius trailed off. He couldn't even find the words to explain how he felt to Hermione.

"Sirius, I know," she said, thinking of Tonks who had betrayed them. That still hurt her.

Sirius wasn't able to think clearly. It was all just too much information. He had the immature urge to yell at her that she was lying to him, but somehow he quenched it, knowing that she didn't have any reason to lie. She had proof that she was a member of the order. The mark was advanced. It wasn't like an evil mark. It allowed order members to see who belonged to them, to call their comrades to them in the most dire of circumstances. Hers though, he could feel it in his chest. He could feel how real it was, more so than any mark he'd ever seen.

Aside from that he'd spent nearly two weeks with her. She nearly always came down when he came near. He had come to see that she was kind and brave and had just led a horrible life. She'd married Remus twenty years from now for goodness sake. She couldn't be that horrible.

"What can we do to change it?" Sirius demanded.

"You see therein lies the problem. The murder of James and Lily, was the only reason that the dark lord was struck down the first time," Hermione said.

"You never did explain that," Sirius told her. "If they both died..."

"There was a prophesy that neither Harry nor Voldemort could live while the other survived so Voldemort went after Harry. James and Lily went into hiding with Harry."

"Could you stop saying that name?" Sirius demanded, angrily.

"Fine," Hermione said, gently. "You knew he would know that you were the keeper so you changed to Peter last minute and told no one. Peter told the secret to Vol-You-know-who, and he found them. Harry was a baby at the time of the attack and ancient magic invoked by Lily had saved him from the Dark Lord, but it only gave us thirteen years of peace before you-know-who rose again," Hermione said.

"So, you can stop it all from happening but it may end the wizarding world as we know it anyways... sooner even?" a voice said in the doorway. Hermione didn't have to turn around to know that it was Remus as she had recognized his scent a few moments before he'd even reached the door. He'd been listening for a while. She turned anyhow. She knew that Peter was out with James at the moment and the Potters were at the Ministry so there was no one else to overhear their conversation now.

"I wish I knew what I can and can't do, but I do know that you four, meaning the two of you, James, and Lily, really have a hand in shaping the future. I have some things to do myself, but I have no roots in this time," Hermione said.

"That's a lot on the shoulders of four people," Remus said.

"'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them'," Hermione quoted Shakespeare, evenly.

"What exactly do you want us to do?" Sirius asked.

"Trust each other, believe in yourselves, and fight for what you love," Hermione replied, her voice soft. "I do not recommend trusting anyone else, not even myself. Even at times other order members can betray you, even the person you least expect."

"How old are you?" Remus asked.

"A few years older than you I suppose," Hermione replied, not knowing if she could really tell him exactly, perhaps around nineteen or twenty. She'd lost track of the days and months she'd spent on the run and in hiding, then under the watch of death eaters, tortured at their hands for information she'd never supply, information they knew they didn't need. She shivered as the name floated in her head. "The Playground". That's what one of the prisoners in a nearby cell said the ones there before them had called it.

"You talk like you're much older," Remus said.

Hermione's eyes darkened to a whole new level. "I was turned into a werewolf because the Dark Lord wanted to see what happened when a werewolf faced torture two months in a row and then was let loose on her best friend on a full moon. Living in this world warrants fast maturity," Hermione mumbled. "If you will excuse me, I would like to get back to the living room." Hermione walked out of the kitchen, her glass of water in her hand, retreating to the safety of the small living room library where a text on transfiguration sat waiting for her.

Hermione had mysteriously disappeared the next morning. When the Potters had found her gone, they immediately sent an owl with a small package of treats. They were no fools. They knew it hadn't been Christmas she was avoiding, though the situation would likely have been awkward. She'd been rather embarrassed at having to "burden" them and when she'd had enough money to head off on her own, she left... that simple, much like Sirius had when he'd had the means.

Hermione felt bad about not returning to the Potters' house even after they had treated her so well, but she knew she couldn't rely on them forever. It felt like the right thing to do. She was learning and experiencing too many things to live among strangers. Mrs. Potter was the biggest part of helping her through the pain she felt pertaining to her capture and torture. She was the reason Hermione could go out on her own and Hermione would never forget that. She not only prepared her emotionally, she also gave her the means by which to do so.

What Hermione did do was arrive at King's Cross Station precisely on time, find a compartment all to herself, and settle herself into the familiarity of the Hogwarts Express. The wizarding world continued in the same manner as hers had. The ministry was weak, half the world looking to Dumbledore to save them, the Order was slowly gaining more and more power, though it rarely added new members, and the whole world seemed to be encased in a heavy cloak darkness.

Hermione looked out the window on the gloomy morning, parents waving goodbye to their children, many with grave looks and tired faces. Christmas, it seemed, wasn't powerful enough by far to brighten these dark days. It was only a week afterwards and the whole world was still a gloomy place to be.

The door opened slowly and Hermione looked up, expecting it to be James and perhaps the rest of the marauders, but it was not. To her surprise it was a man perhaps a few years older than herself, already worn down likely by the effects of this war. He didn't seem to feel that he was in the wrong place as he took the seat in front of her placing his bag on the floor and looking up at her, suspicious and distrustful eyes seeming to be trying to bore into her brain and she felt a slight pressure on her mind. It was actually well hidden, but she was of course a member of the greatest order in wizarding history. She did not take the intrusion personally, merely pushed him back powerfully remaining polite even as she forced him from her mind.

"I am from the ministry of magic," he said. Hermione nodded, not needing him to tell her that. She was no fool. "We have heard disturbing rumors of where you have come from and we are, of course concerned. I have been sent to decide whether or not the claims made about you are factual," he told her.

"I am most certain they are not true, I will not take the veritaserum in your right coat pocket, I am not a simpleton, I will not cooperate with the ministry, and I will most certainly not allow the ministry to interfere with my life. Though it may terrify the ministry, they do realize that there are those who ally themselves with Hogwarts herself, not the central government of the Ministry. I am sure, as a graduate, you will appreciate my position," Hermione said.

"Miss, I don't think you realize the position you are in right now," the man told her dangerously, beginning to rise to his feet. She looked up at him calmly as he towered over her. "You are a very large security breach, classified by the ministry as a magical creature. There are laws against your kind you know, and if I have to I will…"

"You will do what exactly Francis?" a dangerous voice in the doorway demanded. Hermione turned her head to see the Hogwarts Head Boy standing in the doorway, his face tinted red, his eyes blazing with anger. He looked ready to curse the man on the spot. The man didn't seem to know how to respond to James' sharp voice. "I know what you will do. You will get the hell off my train before I show you how good I really am with a wand," James growled. "You're a Gryffindor. You should know better than speak to a lady like that."

Hermione watched the man leave, with a glance at James, not really reacting in any way. She noticed that in the hallway as he passed by, Sirius "accidentally" bumped him in the shoulder. "You all right, Hermione?" James asked.

"Been better," Hermione said, not having moved from her comfortable spot against the wall, her book still sitting open in her hands. The whole group walked into the compartment. Sirius took the place beside her, Peter next to him, while Remus sat across from her with James beside him.

Hermione kept herself from glaring at Peter, who was twitching in his seat. The sight of him made her sick, but she knew that he was their friend and he might not even had betrayed them as of yet. She would protect them from the rat when the time came but now was not that time.

"Where did you go?" James asked.

"I tried to go see my parents, not talk to them, just watch them," she mumbled. "They were cut off of all memories of me and sent to Australia in my time. It was safer that way, that they should never remember that I existed rather than try to reconnect with me. The death eaters would have targeted my family as they were muggles. They did attack the house I had grown up in, leveled it even. They wanted something close to shake me and inevitably Harry." Hermione didn't want to get into that. She didn't want to tell them that their plan had not truly worked out, that her parents had been uncovered an murdered for having a daughter they hadn't even remembered. She didn't want them to be even more uncomfortable around her than they already were.

"Was he a good guy, this Harry fellow?" Sirius asked.

"In your eyes, he was James reincarnated, actually called him James a few times by mistake," Hermione said, a smile in her voice. "Until you died, you were the only father he knew and that had been for only a couple years."

"Where do we send him?" James asked.

"You couldn't keep him in the wizarding world, you understand, growing up in fame would not have been good for him," Hermione said, hesitantly.

"We didn't…" James trailed off.

"I believe you were part of the decision to send him to his Aunt Petunia, yes," Hermione nodded. "Though, it was Dumbledore who decided in the end. Sirius was too young to take care of him, and a few months later he was in Azkaban. The ministry had forbidden Remus raising him so that was his only option really." James nodded and after there was a long silence.

"What is this?" James asked, suddenly… pulling at a chain around his neck to reveal a necklace.

Hermione smiled lightly, her face turning a bit red as she recognized the gift she had given him and also realized he had known who it was from. "It's a talisman that allows the person wearing it to know the condition of the other person with the matching one." She moved to sit beside him and took hold of the small silver dragon. She rubbed the small bluish gem in the center twice clockwise and one counterclockwise and it began to glow.

"I can feel something, irritation?" James asked. Hermione smiled and let go of the talisman. The bright light faded and James shuddered, shaking off the foreign version of what was the other person's irritation.

"Lily has the other, right?" Sirius asked. Hermione nodded, slightly.

"It can only be used once an hour or so at least until you become well-practiced, otherwise it won't work properly," Hermione explained, before moving back to her own seat.

"A-And this?" Peter asked, producing his own present from Christmas. It was a small orb of a clear color.

"This is an orb of great power," Hermione said. "All you have to do is squeeze it to your palm and those you are most loyal to will be automatically drawn to you. If you're ever in need of a helping hand, your friends are closer than you think."

Sirius pushed back the thought that this was rather big of her, seeing as she really seemed to loathe the very core of Peter. She had given him incentive to stay loyal to the marauders and at the same time, she had made him smile. Sirius really didn't see how Peter could have betrayed Lily and James and the thought made him want to crawl right out of his skin in fact and at times made him want to curse Peter to hell.

No matter what he thought, this girl was a member of the order. He had no doubt about that, and he was even surer of where her loyalties were, not only because of her kindness shown towards them, but her attachment to them that seemed unreal. She could connect every member of the order with such a well-woven future that if she had made it up, she was the best liar he had ever met and he was a marauder for crying out loud.

The pictures were probably what did it the most for them. The sight of her, standing with Remus was something that could not have been made up. Neither Remus' haunted eyes, nor the unique hunch of his shoulders or the way his clothes always seemed to be made in a moth-infested factory was something that could be mimicked.

"Yours Remus, is simple enough to explain," she said, taking the box as he handed it to her. She opened it and for a moment it seemed empty then she tapped twice on the bottom of the empty area. A solid row of bottles appeared, then another and another, until Hermione was completely hidden behind it. Sirius stared down at it as it sat in her lap. Being right next to her it was easy to see the amazing array of potions.

Sirius watched with a bit of a smirk as she popped her head around the rows of potion and smiled at the dumbfounded Remus. "They aren't joke-potions that make you grow scales out of your ears or make your eyes as big as saucers. They each have a specific purpose and the box that they came in will always offer you one potion, exactly what you need. It will link directly to my own supply once I've stocked up a bit and when one potion is taken, I will know to replace it." She tapped the side of the box twice and the potions seemed to merely fade away.

"And mine? What does mine do?" Sirius asked, taking out a pair of sunglasses.

"Matches that motorcycle of yours," Hermione smirked. Sirius looked confused for a moment and Hermione laughed. He seemed a bit disappointed but said nothing. "Of course I did charm them so you could see at night and when you're wearing them, you can apparate and your motorcycle will be apparated along with you," Hermione said. A slow grin grew on Sirius' face.

"Well all of your presents make sense except Remus' really," James said. "Why give him a bunch of potions."

"It will make sense in a couple weeks," Hermione said, softly, her eyes darkening again. She opened her book and went back to her reading, all too aware of the pair of hazel eyes boring into her. She was usually accustomed to that stare, but right now it only made her stomach do turns and her head begin to hurt.

Every fiber of her being wanted her life to go back to normal, but she knew that she wasn't ever going to be the same. No matter who she had been, she was this now, a girl stuck in an awkward and dark time, a child again in the eyes of the world rather than the adult she had worked hard to prove herself to be. She was unmarried, unloved, and unprotected against the horrors of this world. No one was going to be there to hold her hand whenever she was nervous, hold her face when she cried, or just hold onto her when she was scared. She would be forced to face a dark, unfamiliar world on her own, but she would be able to do it because she was Hermione Granger and she was strong. No friend of Harry Potter would ever be called weak or coward.

Please, I'd love to know what you think. I'm done being petty and bartering reviews for chapters. I have the chapters and you know I'm going to update. Knowing what you think simply makes this whole fanfiction thing worthwhile. That's why we do it right? To learn and grow, to get feedback and give feedback.


	4. A Potion Brewed

Well, I've given this a look over. It doesn't give as much of Lily as I was hoping to get in near the end, but she comes out more in the next chapter. Snape though... any fans? Yes, he's in here briefly. Remus is still a bit on the sidelines, but soon... very soon he may start to become more comfortable with Hermione in their midst.

Please enjoy my newest chapter and I'd really appreciate some more input. It helps me get through my chapters. I'm kind of stuck on chapter fifteen so really anything you have to say in your reviews for this chapter will probably help me get through my block immensely.

Hermione stepped into the great hall, looking around, scrutinizing. Her eyes paused over each face, her mind taking inventory of the familiar ones. Hermione stood at the front of the room, uncomfortably waiting for the one-person sorting. The whole room looked dead serious, as they stared at the new student. There was almost never transfer students especially halfway through the year, but there she stood. In these days, the house you joined could often mean what side you chose in the war, something that was very grave indeed for a new student especially when you were eleven. Hermione though, was not eleven. She was a grown woman and she felt no fear of this sorting. She knew where she'd be placed.

As Hermione waited through Dumbledore's short introduction and false explanation of her being a transfer from a school in Australia, which likely had false records of her implanted, her eyes drifted to the group of Slytherin Students. A pair of black eyes met hers, locking on her in intense interest. He had dark hair and a painfully familiar face. She felt her whole body become slightly numb. He looked so not in control. That was something she had never thought she's see on that man's face… uncertainty. The chills that flooded through her made her seek out a comforting face. She caught Sirius' warm grey eyes and he gave her a small smile. She wanted to run over to him and hide, but knew that she couldn't. She cursed herself for being so childish, but she couldn't help it. She looked at James who nodded to her gravely, knowing full-well who she had been looking at. His dislike for Snape was not news to her.

Hermione walked up to the stool and sat down awkwardly. It was old and a bit small after all. The hat was barely placed on her head before it shouted Gryffindor, bringing a small smile to her face. It reminded her of how Draco Malfoy had been sorted into Slytherin during her own sorting ceremony. The whole one-person sorting seemed a ridiculous formality but Dumbledore had insisted so she conceded to it. She sat between Sirius and Remus, her eyes again meeting the same pair of black ones.

"We could use Snape on our side," Hermione muttered. Sirius seemed to have breathed it a rather large ball of fuzz because he began hacking terribly. "I'm serious, Sirius," she hissed.

"No way in hell," he said back, his voice a bit rough. The tell-tale barking voice seemed to end the subject, but Hermione had never really been good at listening to Sirius anyhow.

"He's a brilliant potions master," Hermione whispered, heatedly.

"And so are you, we've heard tell," James said, trying to change the subject.

"I'm nothing compared to him. He was the man who taught me," Hermione said. "The four of you have screwed him over pretty royally," she said, chidingly. James' eyes were dark with hate and she saw Lily's face was flushed as well

"Hermione, we'll work it out later," Remus said, placing a hand on her shoulder to silence her. She glanced at him sharply. That was the first time he'd touched her since they'd found out about her past. She sighed, eyes on Severus Snape. Though he would grow up to be the man she held such disdain for during school, she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if he were truly on their side, no tricks, no hiding it from them… truly a member of the Order of the Phoenix from the beginning of it all.

Hermione looked away from Snape up to Dumbledore, contemplating on how the world would change. Snape would tell Voldemort of the prophesy with Harry. Snape would protect them throughout their school years. Snape would brew the potion that would weaken Dumbledore for Draco's hand. Snape would perform the curse that would kill Dumbledore on Dumbledore's own orders. Snape would give them the sword to destroy the horcruxes. She felt her head was going to explode; all the agent and double-agent things that had torn Snape apart pained her. What if he never had to deal with it? She placed her elbows on the table, cradling her head in her hands, as the pressure at her temples became worse.

"Hermione?" Remus asked, placing a hand on her back. She felt tears come to her eyes for what seemed like the millionth time. Suddenly, she could smell the food before them, but Remus' hand stayed where it was. It only increased the terrible wave of grief at the death of Dumbledore and then Remus himself. Part of her wanted him to just take his hand away and another wanted him to wrap his arms around her.

She felt another come around her, a hand placed on the side of her head, pulling her gently in the other direction. A forehead brushed against the side of her head. The voice in her ear was so quiet that only she could hear. "Thinking about the past won't make it better. Your friend Harry isn't dead, that guy Ron isn't dead, Dumbledore is alive and kicking, and Remus is sitting right next to you," Sirius whispered. With that, Sirius drew back and went at his food. Hermione whispered a small charm to hide the affects of her stray tears on her face. She placed her hand on the table and her cup slid to it. She took a small drink of what tasted like butterbeer.

"You're okay?" Remus asked.

"I will be," she replied, softly, glancing at Sirius with a thankful smile. He nodded to her seriously. Hermione put a bit of food on her plate, but she couldn't bring herself to eat it. She left the great hall that night, with one thought in her head, "they aren't dead", and that alone empowered her to make her way through the corridors to Gryffindor Tower and take each step up from the common room to her dormitory. That alone allowed her to fall asleep that night.

Hermione found the next morning that Potions was her first class. She was a bit surprised that Sirius and Lily were not in it, because she would have thought Sirius at least would stick with it if just for the edge you got as an auror. It didn't become a requirement for the discipline until 1986. Remus and James were with her though.

She walked with them down to the dungeons, James telling her about Slughorn, and her listening intently. She already knew enough about Slughorn to know that she wouldn't have to work very hard to truly impress the man. Remus chided him as he said a few not-so-friendly things about the Potions Master, but Hermione didn't care, had been rather disappointed in Slughorn's actual teaching ability.

While Hermione had often doubted Snape's harsh methods, she found that once out from under him she was well on her way to being a Potions Mistress. The hours she'd spent with extra study for the subject so she could impress him with her comprehension seemed long ago. She had never truly been drawn towards that path, but it was refreshing that that was now a possibility. Hermione had decided to take the classes that she had taken in her own seventh year, classes that pertained to the path of an auror and healer.

Hermione gasped, seeing a head of greasy black hair in the front row. She paused in her step. James stopped and glanced back at her, then looking at who she was staring at. His eyes narrowed. "Don't worry about that idiot," he muttered. "He thinks that purebloods are God's gift to the world."

Hermione frowned, lightly. She saw an unreadable look on Remus' pale face. "Let's see how he'll like me as a partner then?" Hermione said, giving him a mischievous smirk as she walked towards him.

"Hermione, you're not going to-" James began. She shook off Remus' hand as he grabbed her arm, and started towards Snape.

"And you have just steeled my resolve Mr. Potter!" she chirped. Hermione was already taking the seat next to the dark boy before James could form words to stop her, not even asking him if it would be all right. He gave her a dirty look but she only smirked back at him, taking out her potions text and dropping her book bag to the ground.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger," she said, holding out her hand. She heard James groan behind her. Snape gave her another dark look, but she held her hand for nearly two full minutes, her cheerful expression not faltering when he didn't take it. Finally he grasped hers if just to get her to put it down. She sent a shock of magic to her hand as one did while performing a spell. He drew his hand back quickly, giving her a stunned look. Hermione smiled brilliantly, not commenting on it.

"Exciting isn't it? First class of the term," she said, happily letting out her inner Hermione.

"Why did you sit here?" he questioned, his voice dark and flat.

"Because James didn't want me to," she said, matter-of-factly, scanning the table of contents carefully. She could feel Snape turning slightly to glare at James, but she acted as if she hadn't. "Are you good at potions?" she asked. He made a strange noise in the back of his throat.

"I assume that is a yes," Hermione said. She saw his eyes light up as Slughorn entered, probably relieved that he did not have to talk to her. Hermione smiled inwardly. She would get him talking and she would use her classes to do it. No matter how much she drove James crazy, she would befriend this young man beside her. James knew full well that she was one of the Order so he would have no means of separating himself from her now.

"We will review a basic potion today," he said, giving her an apologetic glance when she raised an eyebrow. "Draught of Peace, perhaps," he stated. "It's in the beginning of your books."

 "Didn't we learn that potion last year?" a voice from the back asked.

"Yes well, we want to be certain that our new student is up to the challenge of Advanced Potions don't we, Mr. Avery?" Slughorn said, casually. Snape snorted softly beside her. She made a bold move by elbowing him sharply as she had done many times to Harry when he laughed about something in class. He grabbed his side, giving her a shocked look. She felt humiliated at the fact Slughorn was sending the class back a step to do a potion she had learned nearly three years ago.

The class didn't complain anymore but Snape wore a smirk that drove her nuts. She wanted to just smack him but she didn't. She collected her ingredients and laid them out on her side of the table. She looked at him, picked up her book from her bag on the ground between them and, instead of opening it, dropped it to the floor, the smack of it hitting the ground echoing through the entire class, drawing nearly every head... nearly. Severus Snape didn't raise his head, but his eyes flicked her way interestedly.

She glanced back at James and gave him and Remus a smirk. She knew she couldn't likely out brew Snape but she could do this potion with her eyes closed and she would prove that she knew it without the book that sat open in front of him. She watched with a bit of pleasure as he closed his own and pushed it aside. A challenge was it then? Hermione set about making her potion, with the utmost care. She even went up to request a silver dagger from Professor Slughorn who let her have it, a bit surprised. She brought it back to her seat and saw that Snape had one in his long thin fingers.

Hermione knew that using a silver dagger for cutting or skinning of some potions ingredients yielded a superior result, but it could be disastrous if used on the wrong kind of ingredients. She paid close attention to what she was doing, trying to stay a few seconds ahead of Snape the whole time, but his hands moved with a more practiced steadiness and efficiency that was hard for her to match. She did as well as she could.

The end of the double potions class drew near and Hermione smiled triumphantly as she ladled her potion into a few vials as Snape did the same. The color was exactly the same and only an extremely skilled eye (such as Snape's) could see the very slight difference of consistency. She knew that his was a bit better, but was certain that Slughorn wouldn't be able to see that.

"Well, I'm glad to see that a few of you were able to complete the potion, a bit disappointing the rest of you," Slughorn said, stopping in front of Hermione and Snape's table. "Absolutely perfect," he said. He picked up one of Snape's vials and one of Hermione's. She glanced back at Remus who was staring at her in shock, with his murky potion in a vial in his hand. She smiled triumphantly. Her eyes went back to Snape to find him glaring at her.

"Impressed?" she asked, knowing very well that he wasn't. She was quite aware that she couldn't impress him in any potion environment. He was never impressed with others' brewing.

"Yours is too watery," he grumbled as he shoved his book into his bag.

"Yours was too thick," she replied haughtily.

"Not likely," he snapped back, pulling his bag onto his shoulder and stalking out of the room. Other students had already left and Hermione walked to where Remus and James sat, noticing that James' potion had hardened to some strange blob and he was trying to scrape it from the cauldron, something that had happened to Seamus Finnegan when they had brewed the potion in her own classes under Snape.

"You didn't tell us you could do that!" James exclaimed as he looked up from his scraping to gawk at her.

"I can do much more impressive things with a book of Runes," she said, excitedly.

James snorted. "Ancient Runes? No wonder Remus fell for you," James said. Hermione saw Remus seem very uncomfortable at the comment.

"No, I believe it was my exceptional taste in chocolate," she said, trying to look extremely serious though the corners of her lips were tugging upwards. Remus' face turned bright red. She watched fascinated she observed something that was rather new to her, a blushing Remus. James laughed.

"Yep, I bet you gave him a chocolate frog and a few tap-dancing Truffles and it was all over!" James exclaimed. "That's all it took for me," he said, grabbing Remus in a hug and twirling him around laughing still. Remus punched James hard in the ribs to get him to let go.

Hermione chuckled at Remus' flaming face while James just continued laughing, rubbing his arm a bit. She was glad that she had been able to steer James from territory that had Remus feeling so uncomfortable. As they started down the hallway, she let them go ahead of her. She glanced down at the ring on her hand. She stared at it for a moment, the beautiful heart-shaped gem glittering in the dim light, its colors dancing happily at her. She slowed to a stop, looking up quickly as the others turned. "Go ahead of me," she said. "I've forgotten something." After a few offers to go with her, they were headed up the stairs.

"Well love, it would seem I get a new chance. I hope you will not begrudge me for it," she whispered. She gently slid the ring off her finger, raising it to her lips and kissing it once before moving it to her other hand. She took a deep breath, leaning against the wall. Part of her wanted to laugh and the other to curl up into a ball and cry. She didn't allow either side to win out, taking towards the stairs quickly.

Hermione caught up with James and Remus at the entrance to the great hall. Sirius was with them as well and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, smiling goofily at her. She shook her head. That was a look that usually had come from Fred or George. She'd known this Sirius for a very short amount of time but he was one of the most charming people she'd ever met, able to light up a room just as the two Weasley boys had always been able to do, one of the many things that Hermione had taken for granted before times really got dark. She would take nothing for granted now. Times were dark still, but any chance she got, she would enjoy this new group of friends she found herself lucky to have.

As they sat with Lily and Peter, Sirius' arm fell away and he immediately struck up a new conversation, bored with what James and Remus had been talking about before. "How old are you exactly Hermione?" Sirius asked. She frowned and was silent for a long moment. She got an impatient look from Sirius at her silence.

"Well, it's just… I'm older than you!" she said. "Not used to that thought. I was born nineteen or twenty years ago, but I'm almost six months older with the extra time from my use of a time-turner through a year of school, though if we were going by year I suppose I'm not even born so..."

"A time turner?" Lily piped in from across the table. "How'd you get your hands on one of those?"

"Well a professor gave it to me," she explained. "In my third year, I wanted to take all the offered classes."

"So, instead of choosing like the rest of us you took them all did you?" Sirius said laughing at her.

"Well not all!" Hermione exclaimed in her defense. "I left Divination as soon as I found out how utterly ridiculous it was," she said, crossing her arms and ignoring the food in front of her.

"You…" Sirius raised his fork, at a loss for words, not having figured that she would really take on all of them. He'd only been teasing. He shook his head with a heavy sigh and went back to his food.

"I think that's absolutely marvelous, getting to learn all that in a year! It was interesting wasn't it?" Lily inquired.

"Well, I actually almost had an emotional breakdown, to be honest. It was far too much work for one thirteen-year-old," Hermione said. "I barely slept at all even when there was time for it. My boggart was Professor McGonagall telling me that I'd failed every one of my classes."

"Terrifying!" Sirius gasped, dropping his fork.

"Absolutely horrible! How did you survive?" James said, with false compassion.

"Laugh all you want. I've heard it all from Ron and Harry. I am an impenetrable wall," Hermione said.

"Harry, that-that's James' son right?" Peter asked.

"Well, generally it takes two people to make a baby, bar a few extraordinary circumstances," Hermione said, not looking up from her plate, "but yes that's James' son."

"Handsome kid isn't he?" James asked. He and Sirius were the only ones that this future information didn't bother too much. James was merely curious rather than creeped out by it and Sirius really wanted rather to just take life as it came. It made Hermione a bit uncomfortable to speak to them about it sometimes though.

"Yes, he was quite handsome, would have married one of my best friends, Ginny," Hermione said, deciding to leave out the surname rather than tell more facts that didn't need to be divulged. "You kind of remind me of her Sirius and her two twin brothers of course."

"Technically I came first so saying I remind you of her is a bit backwards, don't you think?" Sirius said, waving his fork around again a bit before shoving some food into his mouth with it.

"I think I should decide the way things go as I am the oldest and most experienced in the ways of the world," Hermione said, tilting her chin upwards in a superior fashion. "I have fought a boggart of Professor McGonagall after all."

"Only because you seem to be the most determined bookworm I've ever met!" Sirius shot back. "Sorry, Moony, but the girl has taken your title," he said with a mock-apologetic tone to Remus.

"She loves Runes too," James informed Sirius.

"Prongs, Wormtail, if we stay too much in this crowd, we may... learn something," Sirius said with an expression of distaste. Peter and James laughed.

"You've had our professors before then," Lily said, interestedly.

"Many of them," Hermione nodded. "Professor McGonagall was always my favorite professor. Her classes were always brilliant."

"Well she must get more interesting in her old age," Peter piped up, laughing wheezily. Hermione sent him a scathing glare.

"I am certain that she has always been interesting and intelligent. You just may not be bright enough to…"

"Woh, woh!" Lily exclaimed. "Come on Hermione. Let's get a good seat in Charms." Lily stood quickly. Hermione looked at her and then sighed, grabbing a small sandwich along with her book bag. She knew Peter had been told most of what the others knew about the future, but not what pertained to him.

I hope you found it to your liking. Honestly... Review for me. I need any small tidbits I can help. Many of you are writers yourselves and know that the tiniest comment that might seem of little consequence to anyone else, can break a story wide open!


	5. A Future Revisited

Super-Unimportant-Author-Stuff-I-Already-Wrote-so-I-Have-no-Inclination-to-Not-Include-in-my-Post: All right, the Lily part I couldn't possibly cram into the last chapter heads up this one. I think it's safe to say this chapter has three clear sections, all important to the plot I assure you. I know you're probably all getting a bit jumpy about the lack of Hermione/Remus action. I'm sorry. I am. Honestly though Hermione's not the kind of girl to go throwing herself at someone and Remus... well I explain it all a bit more though, how I think Remus feels at least. Since I'm the author of this rather AU Harry Potter Fanfiction, if I say he thinks it he obviously does. Unless JK tells me personally that he would feel differently, I will not change it. Okay, so I doubt even one hundredth of my readers actually pay attention to my ridiculous rambling. At least you know I don't inject myself into the story right, unless Sirius starts rambling on about something pointless in the middle of the story. I love Sirius Honestly. Anyways. There's a story to read below. I'm feeling rather chipper this evening, which is why the long Author's note. Too much Red Bull... yes, that must be it. I'm going to go to bed now.

Hermione often spent time with Lily over the next week, taking to the habit of avoiding the marauders when she was particularly melancholy and being around them when she found it possible to be so. She spent her afternoons with the beautiful red head and sat beside her in nearly all their classes. They studied and discussed their subjects, often their conversation consisting of Charms theory, which Lily was very good at, or Transfiguration, one of Hermione's better subjects. Hermione asked some about the order, finding that she, Remus, Sirius, and Peter had been inducted at the beginning of the school year while James had been a part of the Order from the previous winter break from Hogwarts.

Lily was a brilliant person. She was often quite opinionated and overbearing, but she was the sweetest girl. She loved to learn new things and she was always eager to get in an argument with James over something or other. It was funny most of the time and then others, just seemed downright childish and ridiculous. Hermione was coming to like Lily very much. She was good to be around when Sirius and James weren't available. That wasn't to say Lily was a second choice. They spent more time together than that. Hermione had never really had close girl friends other than Ginny so it was a strange experience to become so attached to Lily.

Hermione answered what she could about Harry to Lily until it became too much to talk about and spoke of the Order in her own time, explaining in a few deep conversations how her friends had died, but Lily never asked her what had happened to Remus, that seeming to be a border that was not to be crossed in their relationship, something that was too far past the precarious boundaries of their newfound friendship.

Hermione and Lily walked from the library a few weeks later, Hermione feeling very tired, listening to Lily's ramblings about how James could be a real arse and nodding where it was necessary. She understood how Lily felt; knowing how Harry and Ron had infuriated her plenty when they were still at Hogwarts, but something in her couldn't feel warm to the teenaged squabbling. Now that her friends were gone, it made her sick to think of the stupid things they had fought about especially her with Ron.

"Aren't you hungry?" Lily asked as she started towards the Great Hall, but Hermione had turned in the direction of Gryffindor Tower instead.

"I think it'll be too much to see the others today," Hermione said, softly. Her eyes glazed over a bit, as the thoughts of Harry that had overpowered her during her full afternoon with Lily came flooding back. Lily was so similar to her son with her beautiful green eyes and fiery personality and she thought seeing so much of Harry in James' face could be too much for her. Lily frowned for a moment, pausing.

"Go ahead without me," Hermione encouraged. "I'm just going to get some sleep. I haven't slept very well the past few days."

Lily nodded knowing that better than to object. Hermione didn't sleep well and she slept even worse as the full moon was tomorrow, something that the whole group of them knew, but no one spoke of it, especially Lily and Hermione, as they weren't comfortable enough to talk about it together either.

Lily watched as Hermione walked off towards Gryffindor Tower. She walked slowly towards the great hall. She truly didn't know how to act around Hermione, who was so inquisitive and eager to just live live and learn one moment and quiet and melancholy the next. Hermione knew so much about all of them, and only when she drew away was it truly clear how closely she was connected to the Gryffindors of their year. It was sort of eerie being around her, knowing that she was the best friend of her future son, but it was hard to realize how much stranger the situation had to be for Hermione herself.

Lily shivered to think if she had had to watch her friend die or James. Lily felt tired as she thought about it, all her anger at her mischievous boyfriend sinking away as a weighing sympathy for Hermione sank in. Lily had no idea what it was like to see in them, the faces the people she had known and loved, but could never really be with again. It had been strange at first, Hermione's disappearances throughout the day, but somehow Lily had begun to understand. Sometimes, Hermione must have to just get away from the memories that they brought up for her, memories that probably broke her heart all over again.

Lily was not deaf. Not one night, since the term began, did Hermione get a real, full night of sleep. Hermione tossed and turned half the night, whispering names some familiar others not, along with short fragments of sentences that often died in her throat. Hermione fell asleep late and she was always up in the morning before the others. She was quite sickly, not eating as often as the rest of them or as much though she was dramatically changed since the winter break.

Lily stepped into the Great Hall to see James' sheepish grin. Instead of scolding him for what he had done earlier, she sat next to him, leaning on his shoulder, feeling sad herself at the thoughts her new friend's situation brought to her mind. James quickly wrapped an arm around her, his food forgotten. She felt a warm feeling swell up inside her. She had James… Everything else seemed so silly when she had James and all her other friends and acquaintances while Hermione had almost no one, no roots whatsoever. They were in a terrible war and at any moment she could lose someone, could lose her sister or her parents or any of her friends here at Hogwarts. That horrible thought made everything fade away, which left only room to feel the good as backwards as that might have seemed.

"Where's Hermione?" Remus asked. She looked up at him, to see a strained expression on his very tired face. She frowned, pausing in confusion. Remus hardly spoke to Hermione, always shied away from her, unsure of how to act around her. Their similar classes had pushed them closer together, but it was still strange for them both. Lily supposed it was strange for him, but he honestly was being ridiculous. This was a step though. At least he seemed genuinely concerned for her.

"Went up to Gryffindor Tower," Lily muttered. "She wasn't feeling well." Remus nodded, lightly looking as if he felt quite the same. Sirius was absent as well, probably snogging some girl or other.

"How are we supposed to relate to her?" Lily asked, suddenly. "The very sight of you and James makes her lose her appetite. She can't sleep at night and she buries her nose in a book whenever you try to talk to her. The only one she'll even talk to is Sirius of all people!" Peter, Remus, and James fell silent, none knowing what to say but all knowing the truth of it.

"Why James though? Why does she go pale when she sees him?" Peter asked, softly. Even he wasn't stupid enough to ask why Remus. He knew enough of what Hermione had lived through to know that she had been very close to their werewolf friend and he wasn't really that thick.

"Because her best friend was my son, looked a lot like me too," James said, darkly.

"If we just avoid her, then maybe she'll be able to adjust to…" Remus began.

"Now that is a stupid suggestion, Moony," James cut him off.

"First of all, James is her handler, and second of all, you have every single one of your classes together," Lily pointed out.

"I think you've done enough avoiding of her for us all to see that it's not working. I don't think she dislikes having you around, anyhow," James said after a moment. Lily nodded thoughtfully.

"How many people do you think she lost?" Peter asked.

"Merlin, she lost everything. I know of at least twenty names," Lily muttered. "Her first boyfriend, Viktor was the first of her close peers killed, died abroad near his school in Bulgaria. She wouldn't say what spell it was, just that it had been a horrible death. She and Harry had another best friend, Ron Weasley who was tortured and killed by Avery." Lily looked hatefully over her shoulder to where Snape sat with Avery right beside him.

"She told me that Sirius' cousin was the one to kill him," James muttered, his voice a bit faint.

"What about you, James? No one could take you down," Peter squeaked. There was a strained silence when the subject of James' death came up. No one really wanted to believe Hermione's version of what had happened, that Peter had betrayed them to Voldemort.

Sirius had argued with himself and with them, swearing up and down that Hermione would not lie. He had warmed up to her considerably. They were often to be found walking around the grounds just talking together, laughing occasionally. It was strange to the marauders because Sirius had exactly zero girl friends. One might argue he was friends with Lily, but they all knew that was because of James and they hardly got along. Sirius Black had plenty of girlfriends and simply snogging buddies, but spending time with a girl on equal terms was not something he'd ever been accused of doing. He had a habit of objectifying the opposite sex.

"I think I've lost my appetite as well," Lily whispered. "I guess I'll join Hermione."

"She knows when…?" Remus asked, softly.

"Oh right, Remus I need to talk to you in private," Lily said, suddenly remembering what Hermione had asked her to tell him.

"I'll just walk you to the tower. I'm done anyways," Remus said, standing. Lily nodded and they walked out of the Great Hall, quickly.

"There's something that Hermione wanted me to tell you before the full moon," Lily whispered. They walked up a few flights of stairs, ducking into an empty classroom on the fourth floor. Lily turned to look at Remus.

"She said to make it as secret as possible, wouldn't even explain why I needed to tell you," Lily explained, a bit confused about it herself. "The box she gave you for Christmas…" Lily said. Remus nodded, indicating that he knew what she was talking about. "She said that tomorrow there'll be a potion in it. She wants you to drink it just after lunch."

"Why? What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know. She wouldn't tell me what it was," Lily said. "I think you just have to trust her and drink it." Remus sat down, slowly.

"You don't think that it will…"

"No, if she had a potion that could keep you from transforming then she would tell you. It must do something else," Lily said. "I've heard from yourself that she hasn't botched a potion in class and she could have found plenty of better ways to poison you if that's what she wanted to do."

"I didn't think she'd poison me," Remus muttered, shaking his head, his sandy blonde hair falling into his eyes. Lily didn't speak, choosing to sit instead, knowing that he had something he wanted to talk about seriously.

"Lily, what does she want from me?" Remus asked, softly. His voice was careful, as if he himself disliked the phrasing of the question, as if he was trying to say something else but couldn't find a way to say it. Lily understood what the tired werewolf meant.

"Remus, when Hermione has nightmares she often wakes up in the middle of the night, but it isn't you that she's having nightmares about. She lost someone, someone she loved very much, but she does not confuse him with you," Lily said.

"That night… she… I mean she thought I was…" Remus trailed off

"Don't be so terrified of her Remus," Lily laughed softly. "You look like him, but to her, you are not… not really as much as she wishes you were."

"I just thought … oh I don't know," Remus trailed off. "Now I just sound like a stupid blighter."

 "No," Lily said firmly with a gentle smile. "Come on, let's get upstairs before you pass out." She held out a hand to him, and he took it and she pulled him to his feet.

"Look that terrible do I?" Remus chuckled, walking with Lily up to the Tower.

Hermione knocked on the door to the headmaster's office, hearing a voice beckon her in. She saw Professor McGonagall standing beside Dumbledore by the cupboard that concealed the pensieve. Hermione stepped forward.

"You told me that you have something you wanted me to see?" Professor Dumbledore asked. Hermione nodded, walking towards him.

"May I?" she asked, indicating to the door. He nodded stepping back. She opened it and drew out the pensieve. Dumbledore seemed interested. "You have time headmaster?"  Dumbledore nodded in affirmation, waiting. Hermione drew the thoughts she wanted him to see all together so that he would be able to see exactly what she wanted him to. She pressed her wand to her temple, drawing out a long stream of memories with an uncomfortable wince. She lowered it into the pensieve stepping back. She entered the pensieve first, nodding to McGonagall first so she would follow with Dumbledore.

They fell into a dark room. "That's Harry," she offered feebly as they viewed Harry entering, Hermione beside him, looking around wildly. Ron sat with his rat in his hands. Hermione viewed the scene as if she were seeing it for the first time. Her eyes alighted on each face. Sirius' rather crazed way of speaking with them drew her particular entrance and then Remus' entrance. She winced as she listened to her accusations.

Dumbledore and McGonagall watched in silence, taking in the scene that played out, Snape's entrance, their cursing of Snape, and how they forced Peter back into his human form. Dumbledore looked very disgruntled as he watched the truth of what Pettegrew did played out plainly before him. The admission from Peter was enough. "What would you have done?" Those words made that familiar fire burn within her and spark in Dumbeldore's eyes... anger- definitely anger. After that the memory sort of drifted away and they were in a different place.

"Where are we?" McGonagall questioned, looking at Hermione.

"We're in the department of mysteries, a year after Voldemort took corporeal form once more. Peter was instrumental to his revival, nursed him back to health, created the potion, and collected all the ingredients," Hermione replied, leaving Barty Crouch Jr. out of it no matter how large a part he played in Voldemort's rise. She had no doubt that man had been evil from the beginning, but there were some things she felt needed more delicate handling by herself. This was one thing she felt had to be done, for her friend, for Neville and his parents. He would go down with Lestrange by his side if she had anything to say about it.

In the department of mysteries, spells were flying everywhere, death eaters and order members facing each other, while the younger wizards and witches were in the corner. It was after the Order had arrived to save them. Hermione glanced down at herself below, before raising her hand and pointing at a duel across the room. "Sirius Black," Professor Dumbledore said, softly. Hermione inclined her head slightly. She heard the shout that ripped through the room. A green light flashed, striking Sirius and he stared at Harry, his eyes going blank and he fell back into the veil. She watched him, carefully.

"Never Sirius. I'll never let that liht leave your eyes," she whispered to herself. She knew she sounded crazy to McGonagall when the lady glanced over, but she had to be a little crazy after all, to be trying to do this, trying to change all this. It was so much that one person couldn't change, meaning she'd have to change as many different influential people as she could and then let Dumbledore do as he wished. Hermione gritted her teeth at the sight of Remus holding Harry back, keeping him from trying to go to the veil after Sirius. The grief in his face made her own heart jerk. Sirius' death had been horrible to her, but she hadn't thought of him after that. She hadn't thought of his feelings about it. He'd lost his only good connection to the

"After spending twelve years in Azkaban for a murder he didn't commit he dies in a battle that we foolishly ran into, a battle he foolishly entered to defend us. This was the first time the ministry acknowledged Voldemort's return and allowed for the clearing of Sirius Black's name," Hermione explained, softly. Her memories began to spin again, snatches of Harry and Ron flitting before her eyes, before the memories settled on the a funeral for a few moments, giving them enough time to see Dumbledore's marble tomb and the crowd of people mourning before it before they swam away again halting abruptly at the Burrow. Hermione walked forward, towards a memory she didn't much want to face, Dumbledore and McGonagall on either side of her.

"Wait, that last!" McGonagall cried.

"We will get back to the circumstances of that. Yes, the headmaster was murdered before you ask," Hermione said softly. McGonagall looked horrified, but after a pointed look from her young student, she turned to take in the scene, Dumbledore remaining quiet through the entire exchange.

"A wedding?" McGonagall murmured questioningly.

"Bill Weasley, Molly and Arthur's first born is marrying Fleur Delacour a girl from Beauxbatons who competed in the triwizard tournament in my fourth year," Hermione explained. She smiled slightly, "Beautiful isn't she?" she added off-handedly. She walked closer to the crowd of people, some sitting at tables, some walking about, and a few dancing. The familiar faces swam before her a pain in the pit of her stomach.

"Many here were order members," Hermione explained, nodding to a blonde-haired Tonks, who wore a dress with thin straps, her Phoenix mark in clear view.

"And that's…" McGonagall trailed off, her eyes on the man next to her with an arm wrapped around her shoulders and a warm smile on his face. Hermione walked closer, smiling sadly.

"That's Remus, yes," Hermione nodded, not explaining Remus' relationship with Tonks or how Tonks had betrayed them to Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"She was one of the last people you gave the mark to," Hermione said, glancing at Dumbledore, who looked very grave. He glanced up before the patronus was even in sight. Hermione stared at the cat with vague interest. "The ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming," the cat said, the slow voice ringing in her ears. Hermione stepped back a few paces as everything went to chaos. People began running everywhere, disapparating and fighting.

Dumbledore walked forward, not minding the people who ran through him. He followed Hermione and a red-haired boy through the crowd with his eyes. "That's Harry with polyjuice potion," Hermione explained. "He was Voldemort's first target so even among friends we had to keep his presence a secret." Another red-haired boy caught up to them, the same one who had been with them in the shrieking shack. They were able to disapparate from there, aurors fighting around them, trying to get everyone out. That was when Hermione's memory of the place abruptly stopped sending them into a few moments of darkness before another memory sprang up. This was much further along, a rather hazy memory.

"A memory of a memory?" Dumbledore asked, glancing at Hermione as they stood in a blurry headmaster's office dark with a little moonlight drifting in, a dark, shadowed figure bent over in a chair before the headmaster's desk, Dumbledore frozen above him.

"Remus and I, when Harry fell… we couldn't leave behind your memories for Voldemort to get his hands on, so we fused them with our own minds, a rather painful process really and the result isn't as good as I would have hoped. I received nearly all the memories Professor Snape left in the pensieve. Of course, Remus took more memories than I could but I had most that pertained to the Horcruxes." Hermione looked around the memory that seemed to be stalled somehow. McGonagall walked closer to the blurred version of Dumbledore, walking around him slowly, though the bent over figure before him was hidden from her view and recognition.

"Horcruxes… Tom made-" Dumbledore muttered began. The memory suddenly started, before the real Dumbledore could finish his sentence. He froze to watch at the movement. Snape raised his miserable eyes to Dumbledore, looking as if he had been ripped apart from within, his eyes haunted more than words could describe.

"Mr. Snape," McGonagall said, in soft recognition of the then rather formidable man who looked so broken in that chair.

"Professor Snape," Hermione corrected gently.

"I thought… you were going…. to keep her… safe…" Snape choked out, his voice seeming to collapse in on itself as he spoke, just as he was breaking inside.

"She and James put their faith in the wrong person," Dumbledore replied. "Rather like you, Severus. Weren't you hoping that Lord Voldemort would spare her?"

The voices were broken and hard to hear. They seemed further away than right before them. Snape's heavy breathing was barely heard as Dumbledore continued.

"Her boy survives. Her son lives. He has her eyes, precisely her eyes. You remember the shape and color of Lily Evans's eyes, I am sure?" Dumbledore's far voice rasped hazily.

Hermione thought of those eyes, tears falling down her face as she thought of the position Snape had been in, almost the same as hers really, haunting versions of Harry lingering all around her while Snape had been haunted for years with Harry as a reminder of Lily, a woman he had truly loved. She understood now, after a few weeks with Lily and James, how Snape had become so bitter and angry towards Harry. It wasn't in her personality to feel that way towards them but she understood how he had become as he was.

The memory became blurred even worse than before, the ability to hear what was saying coming in and out and with one semi-clear sentence from Snape, "I wish I were dead," the memory ended, sending them again into a blank darkness.

"I am not such a coward," Snape's angry voice hissed through the confusing haze.

Hermione expected it as the office lurched back into their sight again, this time not as hazy as Hermione had spent many hours thinking over the scene, replaying it to keep it fresh in her mind. Dumbledore seemed to recognize this and thus paid close attention to what was going on in his office. His older self was barely able to stay in his chair for the weight that seemed to press upon him. Hermione pointed a finger to his hand to be sure that they saw the blackened and burned appendage that dangled over the edge of the chair he sat in.

Snape worked persistently, muttering incantation after incantation at Dumbledore's wrist, trying to keep the curse from gripping him further. He also forced a potion down Dumbledore's throat at the same time, forcing him to drink it all. He worked quickly and efficiently over the non-coherent Dumbledore. Hermione didn't look at the real Dumbledore knowing how this sight must affect him because he could probably realize what had happened, what he had done.

Hermione sat on the couch on the side of the room, tired from the approaching full moon and the memories that drug her down emotionally. She observed McGonagall's look of horror and turned her eyes back to the scene as Dumbledore began to slowly come into consciousness.

"Why?" Snape hissed, "Why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realized that. Why even touch it?" Snape demanded, fury written across his gaunt face.

"I… was a fool. Sorely tempted," Dumbledore muttered, his voice thin and frail.

"Tempted by what?" Snape demanded, but he received no answer, Dumbledore's face taking a far-off look.

"It is a miracle you managed to return here! That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for. I have trapped the curse in one hand for the time being," Snape said, angrily.

"You have done very well, Severus. How long do I have?" Dumbledore questioned, lightly.

"I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually, it is the sort of curse that strengthens over time."

"Something like th-"

The memory cut off, Dumbledore turned to Hermione through the darkness, and she sighed. "Remus got the rest of the memory and he took it with him to…" She wasn't able to finish the sentence. The tears still ran steadily down her face and Dumbledore looked so angry, angry with himself, angry with the circumstances.

"You made him kill you," she told him, the grief in her voice plain and unmasked. "It was his absolute proof of loyalty to the dark lord so he could take your position as headmaster, take your position to protect the school, the students, and to help Harry without his knowledge of it."

"Albus, this is terrible," McGonagall's voice was faint as well.

"The more important reason you wanted Professor Snape to do it was because you wanted him to have the elder wand, but…" Hermione gulped, knowing that the memory was coming. There were a few moments silence and the next memory came, this one as clear as if they were there themselves, because Hermione actually had been.

Snape was bleeding terribly and Hermione was collecting his memories, leaning over him. McGonagall let out a small anguished cry and Hermione walked up close to Ron and Harry, kneeling next to Snape and the other version of herself. She tried to touch Snape's forehead, but her hand went through the mere memory of him. "Bravest man we never took the time to really know before this," she whispered as they watched Snape's eyes fade dully.

She winced at that, knowing that if they had simply realized that was the snake's paralyzing toxins, they could have saved him hours of immovable suffering. He had, through some genius potions work of his own created a potion that allowed a wizard of formidable power to replenish their own blood loss. It was amazing actually. As it was, it took hours to get Fawkes down to him. If Remus hadn't have realized... Snape really would have been dead. About seven blood-replenishing potions, a lot of fancy wandwork, and phoenix magic later, and he had been brought back to regular breathing.

They were whipped into another memory, a battle. People were falling everywhere, choosing to die rather than succumb to the dark lord then another flash and they were in a dark, dank cave, a small group of order members huddled close together, a few of them injured. Remus stood pacing back and forth.

"The horcruxes are gone, Remus. We have to try!" Hermione cried out and the whole groups eyes went to the older, more tired version of Remus. The real Hermione moved slowly towards the memory of her husband, looking at him through shimmering eyes. He walked directly through her and she sighed stepping out of his way as he paced back the same way again.

"Hermione, he's gone!" Ron shouted at her. "Why the bloody hell don't you get that?"

"Shut up Ron!" George shouted. The whole group broke into chaos, yelling and sobbing. Everyone was heartbroken. Remus took a while to bring everyone to order, but even then the hysterics of the group was overpowering. Hermione pulled on Remus' hand and he sat beside her.

"We'll wait out the night and decide what to do in the morning," Remus said to them. Arthur nodded in agreement, the only other senior order member left really. The small group moved close to each other, all seeking the comfort that they could not really get in the end. Hermione leaned against Remus whose back was to the cave wall.

Suddenly the memories ended and they were all back in Dumbledore's office, standing over the pensieve. McGonagall and Dumbledore did not ask what happened after that, because the outcome had already been told. Only two order members survived, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley.

"Miss Granger," McGonagall said softly.

"Please, I don't need sympathy professor," Hermione whispered. "Headmaster, I may be clever, but I am no where near as intelligent as you. I hope that somehow you can lead us to something better. Try not to think of everything so coldly as you once did. For all your greatness, you sacrificed many for what you believed the greater good. I want you to know right now that I will save James and Lily. I will not let Remus or Sirius get hurt either. I hope you will be able to figure out another way to end this before it reaches that point. I will lay my life on the line for the cause. That is why I took this mark, to protect the ones I love."

"The full moon is tomorrow, are you planning on the shrieking shack?" Dumbledore asked, his voice hoarse. She knew how those memories had affected him, how they would continue to move him.

"I will barricade myself in the room of requirement. I have brewed a potion that I may keep my mind through the transformation," Hermione said.

"An advancement?" Dumbledore murmured. Hermione nodded her head, turning to the door.

Hermione paused in the doorway. "Headmaster, you did all you could to ready us for the events after your death really. I'm sorry… we just couldn't…" Hermione's voice caught in her throat. "You didn't fail us, sir…" she whispered, tears sliding down her face. "Truly... we failed you." She left then, before Dumbledore could counter what had been said.

The morning came and Hermione felt worse than ever. She drug herself to Transfiguration, Lily on one side, Sirius on the other. James and Remus were speaking with Peter behind them while Sirius and Lily were arguing good-naturedly.

"Mudblood," a voice hissed. The whole group whirled around to see who had dared utter that terrible word.

Hermione felt too exhausted to form a proper retort, even when she saw the word had been directed at her. Someone spoke for her, however. She found herself staring at Remus' back as he growled. "Shove off Mulciber." His wand was in his right hand. He'd taken a step back towards her, so she was completely hidden behind him unless she leaned to the side to look over his shoulder. James and Sirius took a place on either side of Remus, Peter beside Sirius. All four had wands in hand even though Peter's was shaking terribly.

"You three are no better, you know, blood traitors… You disgust me," Mulciber spat, pointedly ignoring the fact that Lily and Peter were there. James waved his wand, but Avery had stepped in front and shielded his friend with a sneer. "Watch your back, Granger. One of these days, the whole wizarding world will be wiped clean of your disgusting kind," Mulciber hissed. They stalked past them. Lily told the marauders to let them go, and Hermione just stood feeling faint. She felt Lily take a firm hold of her elbow and was glad of it. She didn't know if she'd ever get used to this terrible feeling that preceded a full moon.

"Hermione?" Remus asked. Her vision swam, but he came closer, his face directly in front of hers. "Maybe you should go back to the tower," he suggested with a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"No, I don't miss classes," she said, stubbornly.

"Hermione, Professor McGonagall's not going to-" Lily began, but Hermione shook her head lowering her eyes from Remus'. His hand fell away.

"I don't miss classes," she repeated. Lily nodded slightly and kept a firm hold on her arm as they started towards the Transfiguration classroom. Even Peter seemed to understand that she wasn't well, as he had taken to glaring at anyone who dared to stare at the pale girl, not that he was quite intimidating, but the full force of Sirius' was something very few would willingly step into.

Hermione sat in her assigned seat with Sirius and Remus, trying to ignore the pitying glance from Professor McGonagall as she pulled out her book to the appropriate page. Her spells did not suffer because of her physical weakness. She caught Snape's eye at one point and he gave her a disgusted look. She shook her head, feeling a bit irritated about it, but trying to push it back.

"Got something to say Snivellus?" Sirius growled.

"Just shut up, Sirius," Hermione snapped, easy anger one of her wide range of emotions. Sirius sent her a look of confusion, but she just growled with frustration, transfiguring and retransfiguring the box in front of her. It was so simple for her that it couldn't draw her mind from her current whirl of emotions.

She wondered angrily how Mulciber even found out that she was muggleborn. He shouldn't have had any way of knowing and she hadn't said a thing about it at school. Her eyes narrowed at the box, and before she knew it she had accidentally set it on blue fire, something that had happened a few times before. She waved her wand with a quick spell to put it out, but her box was incredibly charred. It wouldn't be very humane to turn the box into an animal now so she just pushed it away from her, ignoring the jeering from the Slytherins of the class.

"Miss Granger, are you all right?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"She probably just realized people with disgusting, dirty blood are worthless excuses for wizards," a Slytherin said snidely to his friend, so quietly the old Transfiguration professor wouldn't hear it.

Hermione stood sharply, her chair falling to the ground behind her. She was in front of him in an instant, moving as fast as apparition, a swirling white light the only evidence of where she had been standing a moment before. Her wand was directly under the chin of the previously sneering Slytherin who stared at her in utter shock. She had a strong grip on the front of his robes, pulling him slightly up out of his chair. "What were you saying?" she demanded her eyes so cold that the boy before her seemed to shiver from the force of it.

"Miss Granger!" Professor McGonagall shouted. Hermione felt her wand fly from her hand, and a gentle hand on her shoulder. The whole room was dead quiet. James had been the one to disarm her it seemed, and Remus was the one pulling her away from the Slytherin. Professor McGonagall told James to take her to the headmaster's office. Hermione shrugged Remus' hand off of her, and walked quickly from the room. About halfway down the corridor however, her strength left her and she leaned against the wall sliding down to the ground.

"I don't even know what I'm doing anymore," she whispered, when James knelt in front of her. She had tears streaming down her face again. "James, I can't do anything right. I'm just… I…" Hermione lowered her head, pulling her knees up to her chest. James moved to sit beside her, draping an arm over her shoulders.

"It will take a while to get used to all of this Hermione, but you can do it and we will help you no matter what," James said. "Anyhow, I don't think you'll have many Slytherin problems anymore, not with that show." He smiled at her and she glanced up, chuckling sheepishly.

"I just want my friends back, James," she said after a long moment.

"You can be the one to make sure they can live the lives they were meant to live," James told her, gripping her shoulder comfortingly. "Who knows, maybe you'll get a chance to be with the person you were meant to be with."

"Think I have a chance with Sirius then?" she asked. They both chuckled at the small joke. James pulled Hermione to her feet.

"Come on, we have to tell Professor Dumbledore what happened before Professor McGonagall gets a chance," James said. Hermione leaned on James a bit as they made their way to the headmaster's office, but she didn't expect to get much of a scolding.

"By the way, I wanted to ask about that potion you gave Remus," he said as they neared the headmaster's office.

"I'm sure you'll know tonight… Prongs," she replied, knowing very well that they'd be with him when he transformed. James nodded, slightly.

If you feel like giving me a review, that would be brilliant.

I don't do many of these in-chapter review responses, but I couldn't help myself.

SAMPDORA! Thank you very much for your review. It was not simply long, but meaningful. I love to hear my readers thought processes as they get through the chapters. It's weird, but where you're at is where I think I was when I began writing this story. I really appreciate the time you spent to give me that feedback.

Readerforlife- Short and infinitely encouraging. Thank you for continuing to let me know that someone out there's still with me! You review my every chapter and I really appreciate it.

Maripas... um, you have an interesting review voice. :). Thank you for your interest and some of your more encouraging comments. I love Snape... and I love Sirius, but somehow this story just felt like a Hermione loves Remus story. I dunno. What do you think?

Allycat1186: Of course I'll continue. I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to read from one to four already, well five now I suppose.

Mistra Rose: I've read so many time-travel stories that I feel it'd be boring to stick with the same stuff, but if you've read Look How the Hourglass Turns, which I hope you haven't, I want you to understand I'm not encouraging you to read it (It's mine but it's a scatter-brained, unthought out story that I've changed so many times without sufficient editing that I think I should remove it from the site. Pile of crap comes to mind), you'd see I try to step away from the norm. I don't go far off, hard you know, but I think it gets far enough off that people don't become utterly bored. Look, I've given you a novel for a response. I'm being stupid again. Oh well. Thank you for reviewing, but more importantly, thank you for reading!

Dad Panda Bandit: I hope to keep you happy through the rest.

Esmy: Are you too lazy to log in or don't have an account? lol (seriously). I'm guilty of just not logging in some days. Thank you for the review. I will try not to hold out.

MoonNightLover: You give me too much credit! I don't think things through! okay, well I try to, but meh... Yes I have a lot written and I'm super excited that you found my story through characters! That's exactly how I search!

Randomchik202: I love that word, intrigued... Honestly, it's a brilliant word, just carries an air of intrigue... okay that was a bad joke. I'm trying not to say the same stuff in all my responses, but I think I'm just sounding dumb... any input on that point?

Dracolover69: aren't you supposed to be reading some Draco fic... Meh, I guess you can read mine.

FearLover: I'm just as impatient to get updates from other authors, give that review to people so often, but really I do have a lot written, and hopefully more to come to my computer, just gotta get it out of my head and into my keyboard really.

Sinkme: yes, more of Snape to come, but not a lot. I write so many Snape stories that when I try and pull him in too much he sort of takes over my stories. He's sneaky like that. I'll have an outline and a plan and Snape will come in, my main character or a close character will fall for him and it will be all tragic and then I'll just get stuck and the story will rot in my mac. Do you see my dilemma? He has no self-control honestly, sticking his big nose into my business. It's downright rude of him.

PJ Littlefoot: yes, at some point it might even get a bit fluffy... aw, but not too bad and if you like angst without fluff, I'll tell you there's no fluff and Hermione pines after Remus from afar the entire story. Of course, that would be a lie, but what can you do, right?

WhiteTiger1992: I'm glad you were moved. Chapter... 3 yes? Thank you for the review. I hope to get more from you!


	6. An Attack Defended

Okay, I went a little crazy and combined two chapters into one. I couldn't help it. It just didn't feel right to break any of it up. It wanted to stay together so I left it alone... I hope that's alright... lol. I don't think any of you will really mind though will you? Another couple steps towards RL/HG action! Seriously... it's good. Love it.

Hermione couldn't put into words the pain that tore through her. Her body was on fire, sensations so terrible she couldn't find words to describe it. She screamed in agony as her skin ripped and stretched giving way to a completely different form. She fell onto her hands and knees, digging her nails along the cement floor below her. A few moments and it felt like she was going to succumb to the will of the wolf, but her senses took over a few moments later. She backed into a corner of small room with thickly padded walls and ceiling.

Hermione trembled. She hadn't known what to expect. She'd seen Remus under the potion, but had never gotten the chance to use it on herself. She curled up on the floor, her werewolf instincts screaming at her, pulling at her to go in a certain direction. She knew they wanted her to go towards the shrieking shack, to find Remus, but she had told the room not to even allow a door until the morning came so even if she had wanted to find out what was happening out there, she couldn't.

James turned his head to look at Sirius who had gone back to his human form as well, looking dumbfounded. Remus had backed away from them almost sheepishly after he had transformed. "Remus?" James said, reaching a hand out to his friend. The werewolf nodded slowly.

"Good god, the potion lets you keep your mind? That's what it does?" James muttered. He touched Remus' werewolf shoulder, but Remus pulled away as if burned. He whimpered, his eyes drawn towards the tunnel, but he seemed to be fighting it.

"What's he doing?" Peter asked as he transformed back to his human form.

"He's… wait, Hermione's transformed right?" Sirius glanced at James who nodded.

"The wolf wants to go to her?" James asked Remus, who hesitated before nodding his head as if he had just realized what the pull was himself

"He can't leave the shrieking shack," James said, suddenly.

"What?" Sirius barked. "We can't stay here all night!"

"We have to," James said. "If Remus loses control, his wolf will take him straight into Hogwarts."

"But…" Sirius sighed and crossed his arms. He pouted as if he were a child denied his playtime. The rest of the night he sulked, James asking Remus yes and no questions about this new way of experiencing his werewolf side. Peter fell asleep on the lumpy cot in the corner.

Hermione found Lily standing above her when she woke up, wondering how she had gotten into the room. There was a blanket over her, one Lily had undoubtedly covered her with. When Lily saw that she was her awake, she pointed to a pile of clothes that she had brought. Hermione blushed furiously as she reached for the clothes, holding the blanket up against her naked body.

"You'll probably want to see Madame Pomfrey about that," Lily told her, nodding to Hermione's forehead before turning away so Hermione could get dressed which she did so quickly into the jeans and t-shirt Lily had brought. Hermione had set them on a pile on her bed, hoping rather than knowing that Lily would be the one to find her in the morning. Hermione touched her tender forehead, knowing that there was probably a right nasty bruise. She had done it sometime during when she had been changing back hence her unconsciousness after she had gone back to her original form.

"Hogsmeade today," Lily informed pleasantly as they left the dark room of requirement. Hermione nodded, still very tired. She didn't feel as nauseous anymore which was a plus.

Lily said that Remus had come back much earlier so they had been worried when Hermione wasn't back. Lily had looked for nearly an hour and found her unconscious when she finally got into the room of requirement. Hermione thanked her for finding her and performing a spell to keep her from concussion. The only thing Lily hadn't been able to fix was the dark bruise forming on the right side of her forehead.

They entered the great hall with quite a few stares in Hermione's direction. Obviously, her little outburst had gotten around. Most of the younger students stared at her either in awe or shock, while the Slytherins avoided walking too close to her altogether. She supposed it was an improvement over receiving their insults. She also noticed that Snape's stare had changed back from one of disgust to one of intrigue.

She saw Remus and took in his smile as he stood. She embraced him with a relieved smile. He was happy, he was thankful, he was Remus again... almost. "Didn't tell me you could do that," he whispered. She chuckled, pulling away slightly. "You'll want to see Madame Pomfrey," he told her, indicating to her injury as his eyes settled on it. He touched it gently earning a wince from her.

"So I've been told," she said, glancing at Lily.

"Told you I had a good potions master, didn't I, James?" she said, over Remus' shoulder. She sat down next to Lily and Remus retook his place on Lily's other side, across from Sirius, who had a rogue smile on his face.

"Whatever will we do with all the Slytherins that keep soiling themselves when they see you, dearest Hermione?" Sirius asked, smirking.

"Don't be vulgar, Sirius," Hermione said, chidingly.

"You're gonna have to teach me that trick from yesterday," Sirius said.

"What so you can terrorize a few first years?" Hermione asked. James laughed while Lily seemed to be on Hermione's side in the matter. Lily was happy to see Hermione eating. The girl was quite thin, almost sickly.

"Three broomsticks today?" Sirius suggested, receiving a few nods of agreement.

"But really would you teach us that?" Peter asked.

Hermione stared at Peter for a long moment. She hesitated before nodding. "I suppose it's possible. I'm working on new potions right now, but if I have time, I might be able to teach the five of you a few spells for dueling." She was quite certain that Peter wouldn't be able to do it even if taught so she figured it wouldn't be too much trouble.

"Let's head off now. We can go with the first group," Sirius suggested, as silence took the group, most looking at Hermione with surprise about her agreeing to teach Peter something. Hermione nodded in agreement, picking up an apple for their walk.

They split up once they got to Hogsmeade, Hermione and Lily going off on their own. Hermione had a potion and a list of suggestions to go to Candice's Cauldron Cosmetics and didn't much want Sirius to know what she was doing for money. She'd kept it from him as long as she could, threatening to hex James if he told him. She had simply said that she'd found a job working with potions, not what kind of potions.

Hermione still had plenty of money left over from the suggestions that she had sent in before by owl, but she figured it would be good meet with Candice in person for this newest potion especially since she was being paid so generously for the potions she invented or improved. Hermione pulled Lily into the shop after a quick look around to be sure no one was watching. She groaned to see quite a few girls from Hogwarts inside. She unwrapped her scarf and slid her gloves off.

"Hermione?" a high-pitched voice said. She looked over to see a tall, beautiful Candice who bustled from around the counter and took her hand in a bone-crushing squeeze.

"It's absolutely marvelous to see you again. You're products are already selling like wildfire. I've wanted to congratulate you!" the woman continued. Hermione glanced around the shop to see Lily and her roommates. Janice looked away, blushing, while Susan giggled in that annoying way she did. She shook her head.

"I'm just trying to pay for my school ma'am. Please don't make too much of it," Hermione told her.

"Well, I've sent a few of your letters in to Witch's Weakly already and they want to do an interview with you! I thought you'd be in so I had a journalist come right over from the magazine!" the woman exclaimed.

"No, no, actually I have to… I have to go. I'm supposed to be somewhere," Hermione said. She blinked dazedly as a bright light flashed in her eyes.

"Where to?" a short woman demanded, one quill tucked behind her ear while another was already in her stubby-fingered hand. "I'll go along with you, a day in the life of the young woman who will one day revolutionize cosmetic potions!" the woman exclaimed.

"Actually, I was just stopping in briefly, very briefly to give you this," Hermione said to Candice, shoving a closed envelope and a bottle of purple potion into the tall lady's hands and backing up quickly. "I have to go somewhere… you know with my friend Lily!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing her friend's arm in a tight grip.

"Well I'll go along and we can talk about how you came up with the Skin Softening Solution… oh and the Pimple Petrifying Potion!" the short reporter said, her rather large, bumbling photographer hovering over her shoulder and snapping another picture in Hermione and Lily's faces, this time with the store owner Candice leaning over her shoulder.

"I've put your name on all the potions that you invented!" Candice said, good-natured. "I'm just glad that I can one day say that I was the first person to benefit from the genius of the Great Hermione Granger." Hermione watched in mortification as the reporter smiled broadly and wrote down the shopkeepers words. It was made more terrible by the entrance of a certain dark-haired marauder, Sirius Black accompanied by the handsome James Potter.

"Hey, we heard from a couple Hufflepuffs that you were…" Sirius said, James walking beside him.

"Well, sorry but me and my… Sirius…need a little alone time!" Hermione said, grabbing Sirius' arm and yanking him out of the shop without further ceremony. She grimaced as she heard the snap of the camera behind her. She dug her fingers into Sirius' arm ruthlessly, to keep him from opening his mouth. James and Lily followed, but Remus and Peter weren't anywhere around. She didn't stop moving until they entered the Hog's Head.

"They put my name on the bottles!" Hermione cried when Lily came in. "I'll never live this down. I shall be forever labeled as the inventor of Pimple Petrifying Potion! What was I thinking? Besides, don't reporters have better things to do in the middle of a war then come after me?"

"Y-you… you invented Pimple Petrifying Potion!" Sirius exclaimed, roaring with laughter. He fell into a chair, laughing wildly and clutching his stomach. James was laughing as well.

"I didn't come up with the bloody name, Sirius," she snapped, hitting him hard on the shoulder, but it didn't stop his laughter.

"Did you really invent potions, Hermione, or were they around in your time?" Lily asked.

 "No, they weren't around! I would never take credit for another person's work!" Hermione exclaimed looking scandalized at the very idea.

"Hey Dumbledore, do you have any firewhiskey?" Hermione grunted glancing over at the bar.

"I have some tame butterbeer for you little girl," the man grunted from behind the counter, clearly displeased that she knew his name at all and had the audacity to use it. The others sent strange, questioning looks his way but said nothing.

"Oh, come on, I'm of age!" Hermione hissed.

"Doesn't mean I'm about to give you anything stronger than butterbeer," he said, tossing a bottle. She caught it, and threw some money back at him, irritated.

"Where are Remus and Peter?" she asked, conversationally.

"Honeydukes," Sirius replied. "We were there, but we couldn't pass this up." His sly grin returned.

"Right, perfect. Think of all the people I have to avoid from now on: my friends, my enemies, and the reporters at Witch's Weekly," Hermione said.

"Who will most likely have an article in about your undying love for Handsome Heartthrob Sirius Black," James said. Hermione gave him a horrified look, then looked at Sirius then gave him an even more horrified look while Sirius looked rather pleased at the idea of some publicity.

"That's what you get for ducking them. Serves you right," James said.

"Well I guess the sooner the tragic breakup article comes out the better," Hermione groaned, sighing and drinking some more butterbeer.

"We'd better start off then, Remus and Peter should be at the three broomsticks soon. Trust me you'll be glad you came," James said, casting a secretive glance at Sirius, who rolled his eyes. James offered Lily his arm and she and Sirius followed behind, getting a rather odd mix of stares, some interested while others still looked terrified of her. She heard a girl giggle when they passed. Sirius gave her a cocky smirk.

"Lily, I honestly think I may vomit," Hermione said, through gritted teeth. How things always traveled through Hogwarts students so quickly was beyond her but she was sure her two nosey roommates had something to do with it, well to be fair to Janice, Susan was the nosy one, Janice was just along for the ride.

Sirius swept forward and held the door open for them, placing a hand on the small of Hermione's back as he followed her in. "Want to lose that hand do you Sirius?" Hermione hissed over her shoulder.

"You're going out with SIRIUS BLACK!" Lily and Hermione's dorm mate Susan squealed as soon as they entered The Three Broomsticks. Hermione winced.

"Wouldn't you know it, I'm actually madly in love with Sir Nicholas, so I just cannot find myself with any flesh and blood man," Hermione said, bitingly.

Susan stared dumbly at her for a moment and then realization dawned on her chubby face. "Oh, a joke I get it! You're so clever Hermione! I always knew that you were," the girl giggled insanely.

"Lily, I'm really serious. I am going to be sick," Hermione hissed in Lily's ear. Lily giggled, covering her mouth. Susan walked off quickly to a group of her Ravenclaw friends.

"So you and Sirius, huh?" Remus said as they approached the table. She stared at him for a long moment, seeing that he looked like he actually believed it.

"Honestly Remus, you must be joking! Has everyone in the world gone absolutely mad?" Hermione said, shaking her head in shock. She waved her hand impatiently and he moved quickly over in the booth to give her room.

"It's all right Hermione, I'm sure that not everyone will believe it," Lily said, taking the last spot in the booth and patting Hermione on the back.

"Merlin save me, even Remus thought it was true!" Hermione exclaimed. "I'm quite certain there must be no hope for me." She lowered her head into her arms.

"So it's not true?" Remus said, slowly. Hermione let out a dramatic yet muffled cry of frustration into her arms. "Well, you are always around him, going out on the grounds together all all that."

"Remus, look at him!" Lily said, incredulously, waving her hand at Sirius who was up getting drinks with James. Peter let out a wheezy little laugh.

"It just isn't my week is it?" Hermione mumbled with self-pity.

"Really, not everyone's as daft as Remus, Hermione!" Lily said entreatingly.

"Hey!" Remus exclaimed. Hermione raised her hand and moved it around blindly for a few moments before she found the side of his head, pushing his face towards the wall a bit before dropping it back to the table and groaning. Remus and Lily looked at each other for a moment before they began to laugh. Hermione chuckled along with them, but Peter just stared at them. Hermione sat up regaining her composure a bit.

"Remus, I think you're in my spot," Sirius said, as he slid in next to Peter.

"Like hell he is!" Hermione exclaimed. "You, Sirius Black, can sit as close to me as three feet for the next two weeks, understand?" She was becoming quite good at using that threatening tone. Sirius grabbed his heart as if wounded, sliding a bottle across the table to Remus and one to Peter. James placed one in front of both Hermione and Lily.

"Ready to kick Slytherin's arse next game James old boy?" Sirius asked.

"McCroy's gotten a lot better over the past year. We're going to have to train twice as much for the next few weeks because our beaters have been getting a bit lazy," he said, with a sharp look at Sirius.

"What position is McCroy?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Slytherin Seeker. It's almost impossible to hit him with a bludger, bloody fast that kid is," Sirius grumbled. "I mean not as fast as James, but still..."

"Did you try a draw-box-seeker tactic? It can lose you a few goals, but without their seeker, they can't do much."

"Draw-Box-Seeker tactic?" James frowned.

"Harry always went on about how the Hufflepuff team kept trying to do it on him because he was so fast. Look what you do is have your seeker pretend to be going after the snitch and draw the other seeker, McCroy, towards your goal. The keeper comes out and one beater hangs back. Two of the chasers also pull back. One chaser has the quaffle ideally and the second beater protects them. The first beater sends a bludger at the seeker who doesn't have anywhere to go, because your team has pulled so closely to him," Hermione said. She received shocked stares. "Harry was quidditch captain for a year… I helped research a few strategies and that was one he spent most of his time avoiding." Her face was tinged slightly red.

"Harry was quidditch captain?" James asked, no small amount of pride in his voice.

"In his sixth year, but then things got a bit... He was also captain in his fifth until he was suspended for no fault of his own," she added.

"His father's son no doubt," he said, giving Lily a pointed look. Hermione smiled fondly.

"Well, he did inherit modesty from somewhere and I don't think it was you," she told him. "Best Defense student at Hogwarts too, started a club called Dumbledore's Army," she said.

James gave Sirius a smug look. "Dumbledore's Army, eh?" he smirked.

"Least I live long enough to meet him," Sirius replied, as if he were bragging. Hermione's eyes darkened, while James seemed to think it was funny. She never would understand how they could joke about things like that.

"Not clever, Sirius," Remus said, with a sharp look. Sirius smirked, earning him a glare from Lily.

"What, it's not as if it's going to happen, not with Hermione around to stop it," Sirius said, shrugging carelessly.

"Not too much pressure there eh?" Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "You just play your quidditch and enjoy your jibes."

"So, Pimple Petrifying Potion," James said, slyly. Hermione snorted, a smile growing across her lips. She glanced at Remus who looked away quickly, reddening. She tried not to laugh. She didn't want to embarrass him further.

"How do you invent potions, anyhow? Doesn't the cauldron blow up if you get something wrong?" Peter frowned.

"Not if you know which ingredients react badly with each other. Potions is about controlling the magical properties of a potion, understanding exactly how each ingredient will add to the success of the potion," Lily told him. "Like graphorn parts can't be added after flobberworms unless the potion is brought to a low enough heat and unicorn blood reacts violently with many ingredients that have been touched by dark magic."

"Exactly," Hermione nodded, glad she didn't have to explain it to the boy.

"Remus, you were going to tell Hermione what we did this morning?" Sirius asked, suddenly. He was obviously bored by the subject of potions. James made an abrupt movement and Sirius winced with a slight grunt of pain. Hermione smiled at their behavior then turned her head to look at a very disconcerted Remus.

"We… I mean well… I saw this book when we were at the… at the book store… thought you'd like it, you know as a thank you... for the potion," Remus said, blushing bright red as he picked up a book from underneath the bench.

Hermione's eyes lit up as she saw the cover of a leather bound book. She gave him a delighted smile, glancing at Lily who was smiling brightly as well. She placed the book down in front of her, running her hands over the leather. "_Transfiguration: Techniques and Tactics for the Talented and Tenacious Tenderfoot_." She let out a breath before grabbing Remus in tight embrace. "Thank you so much! That's so thoughtful, Remus," she said, happily.

"Lily, look!" she said, grinning like mad.

"Yes, Hermione, I see," Lily said, as if she was addressing a small child that had just received a present for Christmas.

"This is wonderful and you knew!" she said giving James a look. "You could have told me."

"It was a secret," James said, smiling.

"I'm good at keeping secrets!" Hermione protested. Lily snorted and that followed with a bit of laughter from the rest. "This was really great of you Remus," she said, giving him another smile. She gave him a small peck on the cheek and his face flamed once more. She opened the book and looked at a few of the slightly yellowed pages. It was obviously a rare text. She wanted to get back to Hogwarts and study it thoroughly, but also didn't want this day in Diagon to end either, not when it was just getting good. She suddenly set the book down a strange feeling coming over her. She pushed it slightly towards the center of the table.

She waved her hand to Lily and the girl stood quickly. Hermione slid out of the booth and stood, walking towards the door. She opened it slightly. The skies outside were much darker than when they had come in.

"James!" she called. James came over quickly. She drew her wand and pulled his sleeve slightly. He followed her out. They walked out into the center of the street, wands held up as they turned around. There in the sky a few blocks behind the Three Broomsticks floated the eerie green symbol.

"What the hell?" James muttered.

"He wouldn't dare," Hermione whispered. The others were stepping out of the Three Broomsticks turning to see what they were looking at. "Come on," she said, pulling James along with her towards a fearful cry, knowing the others were close behind them.

"Get back to Hogwarts!" she shouted to the stunned students that were stepping out of the shops all around. The wind whirled around them sharply and Hermione shivered.

Suddenly she froze, her eyes meeting a pair of black ones. She didn't move for a very long moment, conscious of the very texture of the wood in her hand, the wind rustling her robes and cloak which whipped around her ankles. He didn't raise his wand to them however, just ducked down an alley. She let out a breath, but didn't have time to relax as they heard terrified shouts. She held a hand on James' shoulder to keep him from following Snape down that alley. The shouts became more frantic.

"James, you and Sirius go down that road," she said, quickly. "Remus and Lily back towards the Hog's Head. Come on Peter," she said, grabbing the young man's chubby wrist.

"Stay close to me," she snapped at Peter, who didn't seem like he wanted to argue about that.

"And who is this?" a cold voice said to her right. She whirled, sending a spell from her wand without a word. The death eater was thrown backwards. He hit the wall and fell unconscious to the ground.

"Hey! Leave him alone!" Hermione shouted when she saw Peter being attacked. She sent a powerful spell that sent not one, but all three death eaters to the ground. "Thank you Professor Moody," she muttered, having learned that particular spell from him. They were getting up though. She'd only bought them a few seconds.

Hermione saw a flash out of the corner of her eyes, and was a bit surprised to note that Peter had been able to shield himself without her help. She pushed him aside slightly, redirecting the next spell. There was a green flash and she shoved off of Peter to send them both flying out of the way, but splitting them up in the process. She sent a spell that caught the death eater in the shoulder, sending him to the ground with a roar of pain.

Peter let out a cry and Hermione felt an arm grab her around the middle, another ripping her wand from her grasp and her feet lifted off the ground. She felt her shirt yanked off of her shoulder and she winced as a low chuckle sounded from behind her, breath hot on her neck before a sharp pain dug into her flesh. She cried out in pain. There was a bright red light and the grip on her loosened. She turned, grabbing her wand back and cursing the death eater in one smooth motion. She glanced at where the spell had come from to see someone limping off around the corner, off to save the next person, probably. Her eyes then went back to the whimpering death eater before her

"Th-that's dark magic," he said, gasping in pain as deep cuts formed all over his body, one at a time as she kept her spell on him. She looked down at him mercilessly.

"You're pathetic," she said, muttering a hex. His masked face fell back to the ground, without another word.

Hermione placed her hand on her shoulder, feeling the blood dripping there from the death eater biting her, blood soaking through her shirt and jumper and sliding down her shoulder. It was a deep wound, horrid painful. She noticed a bit angrily that Peter was no longer there. That was why she had taken him with her. She would not trust that coward to protect anyone else.

Hermione took off towards the shouts in the distance. As she ran around a corner down an alley, she saw lights at the end. She increased her pace, seeing a girl with blonde hair she recognized from school, a sixth year Hufflepuff, friends with Janice. She was dueling obviously. She was looking to the right and Hermione saw a death eater raising his wand to her from behind. Hermione raised her hand, a bright red light breaking free from the end. It caught the death eater in the chest and he was thrown backwards, his back hitting a wall hard. He crumpled.

"Thanks!" a voice called. She glanced at the blonde boy, nodding. She ran at the girl as she fell unconscious from another death eater's spell, raising a shield as she got to her side, dropping to a knee and putting all her energy into repelling the blue curse. It hit the shield and rebounded off, slamming into the edge of a building which took a huge hit, rock flying everywhere. Hermione covered the girl with her body, catching a small rock just between her shoulder blades for the effort, but the girl was unharmed.

Hermione stood suddenly, as the boy backed up to protect the girl. She sent off another spell. "Have you seen James and Sirius?" she called, deflecting a curse with practiced concentration.

"No, but they might be the ones down by the post. There were a lot of lights shooting up from there," the boy said. Hermione shielded them both from a spell and one that was coming from her back side was deflected by a strike spell from across the street. Hermione met a pair of brown eyes, briefly and nodded to the girl.

"Are you all right here?" she asked.

"I've got this sorted. Go to your friends," he told her.

"Thank you," she told him.

"I'll cover you, go," he told her, sending a volley of spells as she constructed a shield around herself, running for the alley that led to the street the post was on.

She ran hard, finding herself with James and Sirius in short order. She shot a spell between them both that knocked a death eater off of a broom, a tactic she remembered seeing only once by the death eaters. "Thanks!" James said. She nodded sharply.

"Crazy couple of days eh?" Hermione muttered, as they formed a circle facing outwards and fighting off the death eaters.

"Just brilliant," Sirius said, sarcastically. She saw a green flash and felt a heavy weight hit her. She looked up to see James who had tackled her to safety. He pulled her to her feet, but Hermione wasn't paying attention to him anymore.

"Avada Kedavra!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. It met the green light headed for Sirius a few feet from him and there was a huge blast much like a bomb, green light flashing so bright that it was almost blinding. The sheer force of the explosion sent them all flying to the ground. James hit his head on something. Hermione ran to his side and checked him quickly. He awoke with a simple _Enervate_ hand going to touch his head wincing a bit at the pain and groaning softly.Sirius had taken down the death eater who sent the curse at him by the time she'd looked up, and the others were slinking away into the dark alleys and disapparating.

"Sweet merlin!" Sirius breathed. "Nice aim 'Mione!" Sirius muttered, knowing how close he'd been to death.

"Accio Wands," she said, sharply. Wands came flying towards her, falling at her feet. "Incarcerous," she stated. The wizards that hadn't run off and now lay injured or unconscious on the ground were all drawn together by a magical rope in the center of the cobblestone street.

"Where's Peter?"

She shrugged, not knowing and honestly not caring. The two others frowned, falling silent. Hermione saw Lily coming towards them and noticed that Remus was hurt. She ran to meet them, grabbing Remus' arm and helping him to sit on the ground. The others came to join them, Sirius carrying a handful of death eater wands. Remus was bleeding heavily from his stomach. He was shaking terribly.

"Y-you're hurt," Remus choked out, raising a weak hand to her shoulder, but she sighed pushing his hand away.

"Don't worry about me. You're much worse off," she told him.

"Than- you... for the com-forting words," Remus said.

"What the hell was that? They weren't even here for half an hour," Lily said, breathing heavily and looking worriedly down at Remus

"Hermione?" James asked.

"It was like they were testing our defenses. I dare say they found Hogsmeade stronger than they believed," Hermione said, shaking her head as she helped Remus shrug off his robes. His shirt beneath was soaked with blood and his breathing was heavy.

"You sure you know what you're doing?" Lily asked, over her shoulder. Hermione performed a perfect cutting charm down the front of his shirt and opened it to allow her a clear view of the injured area. James had just hit his head pretty hard and was barely able to stand steadily, let alone perform complicated healing spells.

"Well... 'Professor R. J. Lupin' is the one who taught me so really, let's hope Remus knew what he was doing, shall we?" she muttered, with no humor in her tone at all. "Besides, James took a pretty nasty knock to the head. I wouldn't let him near Remus with a wand." As if to make his point, James stumbled to the side slightly and was only steadied by Sirius' hand.

"There you are!" Peter called, gasping for breath.

"What didn't you understand when I told you to stay close and watch my back? I'm fairly certain that doesn't translate to run and hide at the first sign of trouble," she hissed, glancing over her shoulder, but not leaving her spot on a knee before Remus.

"H-he ran- ran off?" Remus said, gaping at their friend even as his teeth chattered and his body shook from the shock of the injury to his abdomen.

"I was pulled off by a death eater! A bi-big one, wouldn't let go!" Peter cried.

"I'm sure that's precisely what happened," Hermione said, loathingly as she turned slightly to glare properly at the quivering fool. "I don't know how the hell you tricked that hat into saying 'Gryffindor' seven years ago." Sirius grabbed his wand from his hand, despite his complaint.

"Prior Incantatem," Sirius muttered. A shimmering ghost of a disillusionment charm fluttered before him. "You were hiding," he snapped.

"Imagine that," Hermione gritted out.

"Hermione, Remus!" Lily said. Hermione turned to Remus, with an angry growl. Her hands were already covered in his blood which obviously meant he was bleeding a lot. It didn't take a genius to figure that one out.

"Did you hear the spell that hit you?" she asked, glancing up at his face in time to see his eyes roll back into his head. He slumped forward. She caught him around the shoulders with a slight grunt, and laid him back gently, looking up at Lily.

"It-It was a knife I think, a throwing knife," Lily said. "I think I saw him pull something out."

"I wonder who might use one of those," Hermione said, exchanging a look with Sirius. They both knew who it had to have been.

"Bellatrix," he muttered. The healing spells were straightforward enough for such a wound, but she needed to hurry.

"Sirius, run down to the Potions shop and tell them we need a bottle of blood-replenishing potion and stitching solution," she said, pressing a few now-bloodied galleons into his hand.

"This is more than…"

"Tell them we need it now," Hermione said, seriously. Sirius took off in a sprint towards the shop, not wanting something to happen to Remus while he was gone. Hermione stopped the bleeding first with a few quick spells.

With a deep breath, Hermione pressed her wand to Remus' wound hard. He shouted in pain, his amber eyes shooting open. She muttered a spell to stop any internal bleeding before she did a few more spells to heal the outer layers. Sirius came jogging back with the potions, which Hermione took from him.

While Remus was still conscious, she pulled him up slightly by his shoulders. She made certain to check the potion thoroughly, smelling it, looking at it, and even going as far as to taste it, before pressed the bottle to his lips. Remus swallowed it as well as he could, wincing at the pain brought by the injury and the awkward position.

Hermione uncapped the other potion which was a bit thicker, more of a paste really. She moved Remus' robes under his head, laying him down flat before going back to his side. She poured a liberal amount of the potion over the wound, smoothing it a bit with her fingers. It came together, forming only a thin scar. She looked up, taking a deep breath. She saw the dark mark still hanging in the air like a ghost. She stood and waved her wand sharply and fiery sparks flew from the end, soaring up towards the skull and tearing through it before it faded.

There were pops all around them, and she found herself nose-to-nose with Alaster Moody. "Mad-Eye," she said, in greeting. He nodded, glancing down at Remus, then at Peter his eyes narrowing slightly. "Thanks for the save," she told him. Moody jerked his head before setting to work with the death eaters laying on the ground, tied together.

Hermione waved her wand, conjuring a stretcher and levitating Remus onto it carefully. His eyes opened slowly then fluttered closed again. The silence was sickening. Hermione placed a comforting hand on Remus shoulder, indicating that he should relax before stepping back and levitating the stretcher itself.

Lily, James and the others stayed behind and probably took the floo network back or one of the tunnels. Hermione walked slowly and calmly, Remus sleeping soundly on the stretcher. He was going to be fine, just needed some rest. She was fairly impressed. Lily and Remus had faced Bellatrix Lestrange and lived to tell the tale. Remus had never told her that he was an exceptional wizard as far back as his Hogwarts years, but he always had been a bit too modest.

Hermione saw a dark shadow and turned sharply, lowering the stretcher to the ground, slowly. She placed a protective hand on Remus' chest and held her wand out with her other hand, lit with a simple lumos spell. She looked around wildly until her eyes locked on a dark cloaked figure and a pale face through the darkness. Whoever it was, wasn't wearing a Death Eater mask. She caught a glimpse of a dark shadow.

"If you're going to attack me, then do it!" she snapped, making sure to keep the dark figure in her sight, and to keep herself between Remus and that person. "Show yourself!" she shouted, furiously when he didn't respond. She sent a random spell into the darkness, but it kept going through the trees until it slammed into a tree that was obliterated. She shook her head, turning to levitate Remus' stretcher and continue forward.

'If they wanted to they would have attacked me by now,' Hermione thought to herself a bit irritated.

All she could think about was how Peter had left her. If Moody hadn't come, she wouldn't be around right now to tell the story. She could still feel that death eater's breath on her shoulder over her mark and the sharp pain of his teeth digging in hard enough to draw blood which still trickled down her back and also over her collarbone in the front.

She shivered slightly at the throbbing pain and glanced down at Remus, who was sleeping peacefully. She still couldn't get over how young he was, how much changed. He was still Remus, but different in so many ways. She smiled slightly at the fact that she was now the older one. That was hard to fully grasp. She frowned, realizing that she should probably go back for the book that he had bought for her. It was still in the Three Broomsticks.

She was saved from thinking on it further as they reached the Hospital Wing. She levitated Remus to the first bed, which another student vacated quickly, moving further down into the room. Hermione saw a girl across the room, moaning in pain. She gave the mediwitch a swift nod, leaving Remus' side to help the younger student. She was no James Potter, but one picked up a few things when being hunted by death eaters for years.

Hermione saw that the girl was bleeding heavily from her leg. Hermione summoned a few potions and quickly took care of the girl, but more were coming. She found herself quite busy in helping the mediwitch. She came across a curse that she recognized but didn't know how to heal so she called Madame Pomfrey to the fifth year girl.

When she got back to Remus she saw he was asleep, but he had to have been awake for a short time as there was an empty bottle of sleeping potion on the stand beside him. Madame Pomfrey stood above him, looking him over before pulling the blanket over him with a wave of her wand. He looked so calm lying here. She looked to the mediwitch who nodded to her with respect.

"Thank you," was all the mediwitch said, exhausted.

Hermione nodded walking to the other side of Remus' bed, taking the seat beside it. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if their odd relationship allowed for her to take his hand. They had really only just started speaking regularly. Before that he'd been afraid to even come around her really. They had studied together a few times. Hermione decided after a moment that she didn't care whether or not it did. She lifted his hand, gently, bringing it to her lips with her shaking hands and kissing the back of his hand once. She held it tightly in her smaller ones. She hadn't slept in so long, unless one counted accidentally knocking yourself out for an hour or two sleep.

Sirius and James came running in, breathing heavily. "No more injured?" Hermione asked, looking up at them. Their eyes were drawn to her then down to Remus. They relaxed visibly.

"No, there weren't many anyhow and they were brought here by floo as soon as the fighting stopped. Rosemerta got caught by a stunner, but sorted her out before you even got to us and sent her back into her bar. She was the one throwing spells from the window," James explained. Hermione nodded, remembering a spell from out of nowhere hitting a death eater at one point. She turned her eyes down to Remus again, wincing as the pain in her shoulder which gave a particularly nasty shock, her shoulder jerking. James stepped forward, pulling her shirt and jumper aside, looking at it carefully.

"I've been bitten by worse," she muttered in a half-hearted joke, but nothing was really funny in the wake of the full moon or that fight that had struck much too close to Hogwarts... to close to home.

James whispered a small spell. She winced as he applied some ointment to heal it, hand tightening on Remus', but a moment later a cool, numb feeling overtook her shoulder and she simply relaxed. James had cut her shirt open after she'd shrugged her robes off her shoulder. She removed her jumper completely, allowing the cool air of the hospital wing to wash over her as she thought about the attack, shivering slightly.

Hermione considered it for a moment. It was a bit much to get her head around. She had obviously changed something. An attack on Hogsmeade in the first war was one thing that she would have heard about definitely. It was a huge change. Her presence had obviously set of a chain of events that led to this, but how? She couldn't imagine how her connection would have emboldened the dark lord so much. One girl's presence was not enough to make that large of a change, no matter how she had acted over the past few weeks. She pressed a hand to Remus' forehead as he jerked in his sleep, looking disturbed by something. She frowned, brushing his hair to the side and staring at his face tenderly. He visibly relaxed, as if her magic itself were soothing him.

James and Lily exchanged glances. She really did have a connection to their werewolf friend. A simple touch from her had soothed him in a mere moment. He looked so peaceful there, her hand touching to the side of his head, the pretty girl staring down at him so gently, so calmly.

"You really love him don't you?" a soft voice asked. Hermione glanced at James who sat beside her. Peter looked at her with wide eyes and Lily simply continued watching Remus, tenderly.

"I will," Hermione murmured. "I will love him more than life." She could not think of any other answer. It was the simple truth.

"We'll have to keep you around then wont we?" Sirius said, dropping a book on the side table to her right. She turned slightly and looked up at him.

"Did you know?" Sirius asked, darkly, sitting between Peter and Lily on the other side of the bed, his eyes boring into hers with something like reproach.

"How could you ask me that?" she murmured, staring down at Remus' hand, still clasped between hers. She looked up at his gentle, sleeping face. She didn't want to look at the others, didn't want to see in their faces what she had heard in Sirius' voice, distrust. That shook her. Sirius was her closest friend. She loved Lily, but she couldn't talk to the other girl in the way she spoke with Sirius.

"I told you I would protect you and now I swear to you that I would never willingly allow any of you to be hurt, not one of you, least of all Remus," she said, softly. "I will protect you until I die, however soon that may be." She winced, raising her hand to grip her shoulder just beside the injury so as not to disturb the healing. It throbbed something terrible once more.

"James, Lily, I'm sure you have to meet with the headmaster," she said. She glanced at Sirius, knowing he wasn't going anywhere. "Sirius and I will watch over Remus," Hermione told them. She conjured a magical hair tie, pulling her air from her face and tying it at the nape of her neck before taking Remus' hand again.

'I won't lose you again, not this time,' she thought, tears welling in her eyes. She remembered the last time she had been sitting at his side after an attack, holding his hand in hers. His shouts of pain had torn her apart one by one. What was worse was the horrid silence that followed. She had only tears from then on. All Ron could do was hold her. Not even Snape could say anything, just pull her away and tell her they had to go. There were no words, two Weasleys, a traitor, and a muggleborn left against hundreds of wizards and witches, lost in a world of darkness and prejudice.

"We'll be back," Lily said, squeezing her shoulder before she and James left.

"Peter could you give Sirius and I some privacy?" she said, her voice neutral though she felt hatred well within her.

"Uh... I mean... sure... o' course," he said, standing quickly and stumbling towards the door.

"I'm sorry. You saved my life, you're my friend, but you understand that I had to ask don't you?" he asked softly. She nodded and was quiet for a few few moments. The first tear found its way down her cheek and she lifted her eyes from Remus' face to look directly at Sirius.

"I promised not to judge him harshly and I will not, not until I know more, but you must know Sirius. If it comes down to it, I'll kill him before he hurts someone I care about, including you. I won't stop to ask questions. I will perform an unforgivable on the spot, without guilt or apology to you or anyone else," she told him honestly. Sirius stared at her evenly.

"I'd kill anyone who tried to hurt James," Sirius replied, a deep undertone to his voice that might have scared her back in her Hogwarts years. Now she simply nodded, knowing better than to try to convince him further. James was his Harry and she would have laid her life on the line to save her best friend if she'd been able to.

Tears fought to the surface but she tried to keep the rest at bay, her hands shaking as she stared at Remus' hand. She had been used to fighting these silly emotions. Since leaving the Potters', she'd vowed to be stronger, promised herself that she'd get by no matter what... for Remus, for Sirius and Lily and James. She needed some sleep. She could barely think and that was something Hermione Granger was not used to, sleep or not. She could use an invigoration draft which she would find in her dorm to keep her aware for longer.

"Will you promise to stay until I get back? Will you promise to watch him no matter what?" she asked, softly looking at Sirius seriously. He nodded, glancing up at her. He could see the nervousness and pain, could feel it. She didn't want to sound crazy, but she didn't want him to look away from Remus for a moment. She'd already lost him once. She wouldn't do it again.

Hermione stood, heading up towards Gryffindor Tower. She had not helped anything yet. All she'd done was perhaps make things worse. She would figure this out. She was the most clever witch to come through Hogwarts in decades damn it. She would not give up so easily.

Hermione got to their room to hear soft sobbing. Susan wasn't even here. She looked across the room, eyes settling on Janice Hansen's bed. She walked slowly to it, sitting down on the edge. "Janice," she whispered. Janice jumped, shaking in the darkness.

"Said that they was gonna kill us, that they was gonna wipe the school clean of us, like we're not even people 'Mione, like we're just mold growing in the castle walls or something," Janice sobbed. Hermione sighed. She pulled the girl to her, allowing her to rest her head in her lap. Hermione comforted her as a mother would, as she had comforted Ginny so many times before. The girl gripped her around the waist, holding on as if letting go were giving in to death itself. She and cried and cried while Hermione stroked her hair, whispering soft words of comfort.

Hermione let the girl cry until she was sleep before slipping off of the bed without disturbing her and going to the trunk at the end of the bed to get that invigoration draft she'd come for. She hadn't slept right since Remus' death, spent most nights since she'd got there working on potions. There really was no reason to try to sleep now, with Remus down in the hospital wing.

She stayed by Remus' side, Sirius across from her until finally Madame Pomfrey sent them off at about four in the morning, as if she hadn't even realized that they'd been there in the first place. Of course, they knew she had. Their trek back to the dormitory had been a long one and Hermione had had the urge to go back and disillusion herself if just to stay by Remus' side, but she knew that wouldn't be a very smart idea, especially if Dumbledore came down.

Instead, she went up to her room and laid still in her bed, listening to the quiet breathing of her dorm mates, all sleeping soundly, though Janice seemed like she might have been having nightmares.

Seriously, make my day and tell me what you think or ruin my day to tell me what you think. Either way, I'll take it all in stride as long as I know you're still interested, still with me. This is two chapters so I hope to get more input than on my last ones, but if you just want to say "Update, dang it!" I will completely understand.


	7. A Piece Reentered

This is just a very short little chapter. Two parts that are important, more so than I thought. This first little scene I revived from my folder of lost and unimportant tidbits, because of my lack of RLHG development brought to my attention by a couple readers. I thought I'd throw this in here to satisfy the masses. I'm looking for one set of scenes in particular that have been lost to the abyss that is my hard drive. I'll have another chapter out by Monday or Tuesday though I promise. The second part was just a disconnected scene from the next chapter that had to go in somewhere. Thought I'd put it here to give you a little more to read.

Thanks for all your patience.

The next morning, or about an hour after Hermione laid in her bed, she headed right back downstairs, glad to see Janice was sleeping still and more peacefully than before as far as she could tell. She took a quick shower and headed down to the common room in a clean set of robes, bent on going down to the hospital wing to see Remus, no matter what that nasty healer told her. She was surprised therefore by the dark shadow in the common room, outlined in the early morning light.

"Remus," she whispered, a bit jolted to see him sitting before the empty fireplace. She shook her head at herself. What was she thinking... it wasn't as if she expected to find him lying there, pale as death. No, she knew he'd be all right by this morning, but this early...? He must have snuck out from under the healer's nose.

Hermione clenched her fists to keep herself from running to him. She had learned to quell those childish impulses during the time that she was at the Potter's residence and perfected it at Hogwarts. She knew he wasn't hers and that she would need to win him over again... if she truly wanted this young man who had been her husband before.

Remus stood and faced her. They stayed there silently for a moment before Hermione swallowed hard and walked nearer to him. He smiled slightly and gave her a short embrace. She felt relief wash over her for some reason. They stepped apart a moment later and sat down on the couch side by side.

"You haven't slept?" he asked, looking at her keenly. She nodded.

"Thinking about it... the attack..." she muttered, because that was honestly what had occupied her thoughts for most of the time she'd been up.

She winced at a small stab of pain from her shoulder, ducking her head so Remus would not see. "I can smell it," he muttered, easily reading her actions. "The injury," he added to clarify. She stiffened, but didn't respond. She started when she felt his hand on her shoulder. He touched the injured area hesitantly. She cringed a bit but still didn't speak.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, taking back his hand and sinking back into the cushions of the couch.

"For what?" Hermione asked, staring into the dancing flames with only a small bit of interest.

"For letting you go with Peter instead of me," he said.

"Did you think I'd tell him to go with you or Lily?" she asked with a small smile. She over at him, "You keep forgetting that I'm a trained member of the order." She smiled. "I have a secret for you," she said, looking to catch his eyes, before she went further. After a short moment he did look up, meeting her eyes squarely.

"The last leader of the order, taught me a little more than parlor tricks," she said. She wrapped her arms around herself, bending over slightly and looking at the floor. She was an emotional whirlwind and felt as if at any moment she might snap in two. She was pulled to remember the person she'd loved so much, but that also made her wish to be further from this person and to get to know this Remus further. Every time she tried to do something, she hesitated. She wanted to pull away at some times because it felt she was betraying him, but then she felt if she didn't give them another chance, she'd be betraying him that way.

Her personal rule when she'd had the timeturner during her third year at Hogwarts was to not think too much about how the whole thing worked... time that was. It was all too hard to work out and now it had been taken a step further. Something had brought her here and she didn't know the reason, but she was here now. She realized quite powerfully that she couldn't be certain that this whole world around her was real, that it wouldn't end in a moment. Her more logical side, if she could call it logic, told her that it didn't make sense that time would bring her there and then just rip her back somewhere else. In all honesty though, it wasn't possible for time to move her at all. Instances of time travel were extremely rare and never allowed for this much room for change.

Her conclusion was that there was no way for her to try and figure out how or why she was there. She had to try and live as if she were supposed to be there as if she were meant to be in this era by whatever higher powers there might be if any. Hermione's whole faith system was challenged by her trials during the past few years and this happening really didn't help her confusion disappear. The inability to get her thoughts straight, to get her beliefs, and values in order was something that was extremely stressful for her. She had always been so used to having everything together, so clear that now it was all she could do to just let things alone, to not try to fix everything around her because once she fixed those things, she'd have to start trying to look at herself, look inside herself and try to fix all that internal turmoil.

"I'm sorry that I've avoided you since you've come here. It's hard to figure out how..."

"How to act," she finished for him. "I don't know much how to act in this entire new world. I recognize people and things, but they aren't what I see. you know?" she mumbled. She could feel Remus staring at her, at the back of her head, but she didn't know if she could look at him. This was something he needed to know and something she had to say. If she didn't then he would... he wouldn't ever be comfortable around her.

"Everyone I knew is gone... though some may seem to be here. Peter, Dumbledore, McGonagall, and you. There are dozens more, but don't... don't make yourself uneasy because I know more about you than you know about me," Hermione said with a small smile, glancing at him. He looked a bit uncomfortable about the topic. "I was with you twenty years from now. You're not really the same person, though at the same time you are. It's hard to explain, but I don't expect you to propose, Remus. I could use a friend, though."

"A friend..." Remus murmured, thinking for a short moment. "A friend you definitely have."

"We're both werewolves... See we already have stuff to talk about," she said.

"Why don't we stick to Runes...?" Remus asked with a small chuckle.

"Right, well I guess that could be an option, but lycanthropy is much more interesting, don't you think?" she asked, completely serious, thinking more in terms of a scholar looking at an interesting topic for study.

"Thank you for the book really. I can't wait to read it," she added.

"Least I could do. Your Christmas present was great, didn't know if I could top it," Remus said.

"I didn't expect anything in return. I'd have had to give it to you, you know. It will become an order matter soon enough," she said. "Training happens in the summer so you're only really a trainee now," she told him with a superior look. He raised an eyebrow and she laughed.

"I'm glad that you're all right," she said. "I doubt Sirius is going to let you forget the fact that you fainted though."

"Passed out! Can't you at least say passed out?" he asked. Hermione laughed, rolling her eyes.

Hermione groaned at the sound a familiar throat clearing "Professor McGonagall, it's five-thirty in the morning the day after Hogsmeade was attacked," she grumbled, lowering her hand, slowly.

"Exactly. Which means you have work to do Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall's clipped voice told her.

"Fine, but I don't know what help you think I'm going to be," she gritted out. Remus stood and whipped off his cloak, handing it to her with a small smile. She nodded thankfully, knowing that castle would be cold this time of the morning. She wrapped it over her shoulders and turned to follow Professor McGonagall.

"Your OWL scores came in yesterday," McGonagall said, briskly as they stepped through the portrait-hole.

"Oh?" Hermione said, rather uninterested.

"Ten OWLs... Outstandings across the board, though I suppose it's to be expected from a former... or I suppose future... top student of Hogwarts."

"Indeed," Hermione grumbled, fastening Remus' cloak, disinterestedly.

"James told us that the attack had not happened in your timeline," McGonagall said, as they turned the first corridor swiftly. Their path was one both knew well and didn't bother to think about.

"Remus never told me of such an attack. Voldemort wouldn't have dared attack this close to Dumbledore unless something had changed. Since it was only a few days ago that I had attacked the Slytherin boy with a very powerful spell that Dumbledore hasn't created yet, I assume it drew some attention. I don't know what he would gain from attacking Hogsmeade though. He lost a few to the aurors that arrived," Hermione pondered to the elder witch.

"Took at least six yourself, I hear from Alaster. Also, sending a death spell at a death spell to divert it from a comrade. That is quite inventive, very risky but intriguing." Hermione did not wish to comment on the number she'd taken. She knew she'd taken quite a few more than six down, but wasn't about to say that aloud.

"Yes well do no think so highly of me. I never would've thought to do something like that, had I not seen it done before me, saved my life once," Hermione shrugged.

"Remus?"

"My Remus send a death curse within ten feet of me? Not likely. He'd have thrown himself between me and it like a crazy fool," she said, a bit bitterly as she remembered how similar to his real death that actually was. "Severus Snape was the one to teach me that trick in practice," she said.

"Mr. Snape?"

"Professor Snape, yes," she corrected, trying to make certain she would draw the line between now and then. She couldn't have people characterizing those they knew now with those Hermione knew in the future. Snape was anything but a noble hero for the order now.

They continued towards the Headmaster's office, Hermione having to walk rather quickly to match the Deputy Headmistress' brisk steps. She was absolutely exhausted but knew that not even now would she be able to get some sleep. She had work to do. She had to make it right. Why her? Not because she knew how, but she was the only one who knew how bad it would be if she didn't make it right.

Very short, but I do want reviews if you don't mind. Really. I got a lot of input on my last chapter and that has helped me in the final editing process of the next few chapters. I can make it even better though... with YOUR HELP!


	8. A Memory Relived

K, it's a little longer, not a double chapter though. I'm sorry it has taken so long to update, but I just started a new job and I have to stay in Ontario, Oregon the days I work so I've been sadly away from my computer, but I will try to keep updating. There will definitely be one or two typos. I work tomorrow, but drove home so I could do this chapter for you guys since I was so happy about my reviews for the last. I've lost a whole folder of files, but I'm going to try to fit a few more scenes of RLHG. I know that's why your here. I get so preoccupied with the plot sometimes though... lol... Anyways. Here is the new chapter. Please give me some feedback on what you think so far and yes...

Keep Going is definitely good enough Ellen. Thank you. :)

"She has to sleep at some point James! Honestly, since the last moon, I'd be damned if she got more that two bloody hours a night!" Lily hissed. This gained even Sirius' attention while he generally ignored Lily as a rule. She rarely cursed and she was speaking so passionately that it was hard not to take note.

"Lily, you have to know something about it!" James exclaimed, exasperated. "You're a girl. She's a girl. You're girlfriends!"

"You have to be kidding me. Why would I ask you if I knew how to help her. You are her handler. She's your responsibility. You know responsibility. It's that word that you have such a hard time with. She's pale as death and I almost never see her eat. You think I can't see that she's not well? Ask Sirius. God knows why he's being so quiet on the subject. He spends more time with her than he does with you, more time than I do with her..."

"Hn," Sirius muttered, stabbing his chicken, dejectedly. Obviously he didn't know how to solve the problem so he chose to sulk about the matter. It was true Sirius fashion. None were very surprised

"What about sleeping drafts?" Lily suggested.

"She won't take them, utterly refuses. I think Draught of Living Death had something to do with how one of her friends was killed," Sirius said. "Someone very important to her at least. She refused to show Slughorn that she could brew it." James raised an eyebrow at him. "We were down a private lab room and he walked in," Sirius shrugged. "She was working on one of those projects for Candice."

"Why would sleeping drafts..."

"Dumbledore was weakened by the draught then killed. She doesn't want to be under the influence of any potion that dulls her senses whether she brews it or someone else," Remus explained quietly before James could finish the question.

"You really have been spending more time with her," Sirius said, impressed that Remus was actually getting to know Hermione. He now spent most of his time with her.

Now that he'd stopped avoiding her, their similar habits had become more and more apparent. They attended classes the same time due to the similar schedules, but they also studied in the library the same evenings and afternoons, and spent most of their time in each others company, whether in the tower, the hall or out during the boys' quidditch practices.

Still though, class aside, Sirius saw the most of his new friend. Hermione was quieter around large groups. She hardly stepped foot in the great hall. Hogwarts had corners and hallways Hermione would not go near. She would literally take an hour long detour to avoid some places, places where he believed she'd lost friends and loved ones. She was touchy still, had a few nervous patches. When she was really nervous or upset, she'd take his hand or step up behind his shoulder and latch onto his arm.

Sirius almost believed something was starting between his two werewolf friends, but Remus was extremely private about those kinds of things and Hermione wasn't exactly spilling all her secrets to anyone, not even Sirius.

"Well, there has to be a way," James muttered.

"Maybe we should just slip her something," Sirius suggested, holding up his goblet of pumpkin juice before taking a long drink.

"Oh, brilliant plan. Let's slip the girl who invents potions in her free time a potion!" Remus mocked, looking extremely frustrated. Sirius smirked, actually liking the idea of a new challenge. Remus didn't find it quite as intriguing an idea however. "If you come up with any more ingenious plots, please be sure to keep us informed."

"Hey... she's coming," James said. Remus slid over giving her room to sit beside him.

"Not hungry," she told him softly, eyes shifting to Sirius. "When you guys are done, meet me in the common room, back corner."

"Hermione, really I think you should-" Remus tried.

"I'll be in the common room," she said seriously, walking off. They all watched her go, going into another argument about what they should do about her. Remus didn't participate however, getting lost in his own thoughts over the matter.

Hermione set down her book bag and pulled out a large tomb, looking through it, carefully. Remus was the first to arrive. She looked up and gave him a small smile.

"Where's Sirius?" she asked. He felt a jerk. That was usually one of her first questions upon seeing him. He pushed that down. She was still smiling at him, slightly.

"He's finishing in the great hall. They were going on about Defense so it might be a while," he told her. She nodded in understanding. She looked down at her notes jotting something down distractedly, before looking back at the large page in the tomb before her.

"Did you finish the book?" he asked.

"Ages ago. It was interesting really. I've tried nearly all the spells. Lily is working on the more difficult ones with me. We want to master them before we let James give it a go, because if we let him even look at a transfiguration spell, he'll do it on the first go and embarrass us both," she said, with a chuckle.

"You're probably right," Remus said. "I don't think James ever met a spell he couldn't perform, just those that he's too lazy to try."

"I'm glad he's my handler. He's really brilliant and if I need help on anything, he's always around somewhere," Hermione said with a small smile.

"That's why we all follow him. Most people think that we're all on equal terms, but we all see James as our sort of... leader I guess. It sounds strange to say it aloud like that, but it's true really," Remus shrugged.

Hermione nodded, with a thoughtful look. "Well, we never had any doubts about Harry. Even when we were in our first year, during our first run-in with dark magic and... Him, we knew that Harry was the one. We had to get through a series of traps so Harry could get the sorceror's stone before Professor Quirrell got his hands on it. Ron went down first in the chess game letting us go forward and then when we reached the next I sent Harry ahead because there was only enough potion for one of us to get through the fire that led to the last room with the Mirror of Erised," Hermione said, her voice a soft murmur.

"Should I ask about all that?" Remus questioned, royally confused.

Hermione looked at him then laughed bubbly. "Right, I guess that made not a bit of sense to you. Maybe we'll have that story another time," she chuckled, looking up as the others entered. She was glad to see that Peter wasn't with them. It would be hard to shake the little weasel off if he had met with them in the hall up here. She had found out that he was actually good at something Herbology, but he was no Neville. She was trying to see something in him, but as of yet had found little to recommend him.

"This is extremely important and what I say has to stay with us, right? Have any of you ever heard of something called a horcrux?" she asked, quietly. Blank looks met her, from all but Sirius, who sat at her right.

"I've heard the word before," he said softly, obviously having understood before now that it was a very, very dark word, taboo in the wizarding world. She glanced at him, nodding in understanding.

"Pieces of a person's soul can be displaced... trapped into objects that would allow for that person's revival. Voldemort has done this to his own soul. He has created these horcruxes, using the deaths of people who have stood against him. He only uses important murders to create them. If he had created one for all his deaths, he would definitely not even be able to survive on what little soul he has left," she explained. Lily and Remus flinched in unison when she used the name. It didn't affect her though.

"I was looking through the older texts in the library, but the thing is, we really have to worry more about horcruxes first, like Harry, Ron, and I did. I know where they are for the most part and how to get to most of them," she said.

"Sirius, your brother Regulus. I'm not sure you know this but he has already taken the dark mark," she whispered. Just because the common room was empty didn't mean that she would speak freely about it. Sirius stiffened and he inclined his head stiffly.

"I thought so," Sirius said, darkly.

"Well, 1979 is the year that Voldemort," another flinch, "uses your family's house elf Kreacher to secure one of his horcruxes. The problem is, Regulus is about to start thinking twice about his allegiances. Voldemort's," once again a flinch, "leaving Kreacher to die will be the last straw for him. What your brother will do is rather genius actually. He takes the locket which costs him his own life, in exchange for stealing one of the dark lord's. Basically, in two years time, your house elf Kreacher will have that locket and your brother will be..."

"Regulus..." Sirius muttered, finally some grief actually registering in his eyes. The thought that his brother would do what was right in the end was something that made his head spin. Now that he knew, could he let his little brother die? Hermione stared at him, calmly, and he realized that she was leaving the decision to him. He had two years so she wasn't really in a hurry, but she was letting him choose whether or not to let his brother sacrifice his life for one of Voldemort's.

"How do you remember all this stuff?" Remus asked softly.

"Well, endless studying was the only thing I was ever really good at. I figured out the dates along the way I suppose," she said. "The first horcrux I ever saw was Tom Riddle's Diary which he created when he was sixteen. However, it is quite likely in the hands of one Lucius Malfoy which poses a problem of course. Also, have you ever heard tell of a snake that Voldemort keeps with him at all times, a large one called Nagini?" Now she was talking only to Sirius.

"I've never seen it, but yes. I've heard of the beast. My mum may not be one of them, but she sure as hell supports what they're doing," Sirius muttered.

"Right. That one Neville finished off, just before Harry was..." she shook her head, not wanting to finish that sentence. "There's also Hufflepuff's Cup which Bellatrix Lestrange has her disgusting hands on, Ravenclaw's Diadem, tricky to get from the Room of Requirement, and an ancient ring which is hidden in the Gaunt Ruins. I won't allow any of you near that last one. If we destroy all of these, we give Dumbledore or I don't know, James a chance."

"Why James?" Lily asked, sounding highly alarmed. James took her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"Harry was supposed to do it right, so why not James?"

"You said there was a diary, the snake, the ring, Hufflepuff's Cup, Ravenclaw's Diadem, and Slytherin's Locket. That's six. The seventh is in him, but..." Remus eyed her carefully. "You're leaving something out though aren't you?"

"Well, when..." Hermione said, "...when he went for Harry. He killed James first because he was trying to protect them, then..." Hermione's hands shook. "He went upstairs and Lily, you... you protected your son. You just kept shielding him with your body. See, the dark lord never planned to lay a finger on you that night. You were saved, protected. When he finally ended up having to kill you, your sacrifice invoked old magic. When one person dies for the other, it creates a powerful protection spell. I mean powerful magic, which when he tried to kill Harry rebounded the killing curse onto him. Your sacrifice is what saved your son and bought the wizarding world time," she said.

"That night though... Harry was turned into a Horcrux, with your death. That was why Harry was able to speak parsletongue and Voldemort was able to connect to his mind so easily."

James' angry and horrified look made her smile sourly. "Don't worry. I'm here to change history completely not appreciate it. As noble and heroic a death it was, it should hot have happened that way. It will not happen that way."

"How did Remus die," Sirius asked. Hermione looked up sharply. "I mean, we know how Lily and James die and that you say Peter died to try and keep a wizard's debt with James' son. I'm killed by my cousin, so how does Remus die?"

Hermione shook her head, gripping her right hand tight around her ring and covering her right hand with her left. Tears welled in her eyes and she stared down at her hands. "I thought your strategy was to tell us how it all happens so we can avoid it next time around," Sirius pressed.

His grey eyes traveled over every inch of her troubled face. She refused to make eye contact with him. He was banking on that Gryffindor Courage of hers. He knew it was there. Quiet as she might often be around others and even in private, she had a vibrant streak in her that could put him to shame. She was a Gryffindor to the core and she wouldn't back down. He knew that..

"Sirius, stop it," Lily hissed. Lightning flashed in the darkness on the other side of the window. Hermione flinched.

"No, Lil. This is something she needs to tell us," James said. Hermione didn't hear him add, "For her, not for Sirius." Hermione looked up at him, wishing she could stop the tears, the sadness, but it seemed she'd never be rid of it. It was so consuming and so draining.

She took a long deep breath, before trying, "There were about ten of us left. We had been wandering through forests and over hillsides, but I suppose it was only a matter of the time before he found us. The purebloods could have abandoned us, but only one did. We were almost exclusively Gryffindors and while I hate to abide by stereotypes, loyalty to each other came before anything else. Anyhow, we were staying in a magical tent, one that had been given to Mr. Weasley. Harry and I had used it when we searched for Horcruxes. I think I was crying all the time by then. I was so weak that I'm sure Remus was beginning to loathe me. I wouldn't even walk unless he or Ron had my hand and I couldn't sleep without him beside me, still have trouble. He was so tired and I was no help in that. How he held together I'll never know," Hermione said, her voice breaking. Remus wrapped an arm around her and she closed her eyes, drawing a long shaky breath.

"When they found us the second time after the final battle, we held up pretty strong. Remus took out four right near the start and I brought a couple down with me, but we were surrounded. Professor Snape... Severus..." she paused for the name to fully sink in, "was our next best duelist, but he was getting tired just like the rest of us, still trying to recover from the poison of Nagini over six months after he was attacked. We just did what we could, you know. When we were fighting, Ginny's scream distracted me... just for a moment, only one second and that's how I lost him. All I remember was being pushed hard to the ground then him covering me with his own body. when I looked up he was unconscious and only four hours later..." She drew a shaky breath, her voice having cracked a few times already. She could hardly breathe. "After four hours, Ginny was gone. She had been taken and Remus was dead."

"After that?" Sirius pushed.

She shook her head, but he continued to stare until she sighed, taking another shaky breath and continuing. "There were a couple more encounters. We lost Severus in one along with a couple others. Then was just me and George, wandering about just trying to maintain our own pitiful existences, but it couldn't last. We were found by Fenrir Greyback in the woods. He thought it was quite a treat finding us. He made me watch as he... George was ripped apart," she choked out.

There was a long eerie silence as it all sunk in. A few minds were still wandering back to how the Potter family had been taken down, but everyone had a lot to process, not the least of which was how Snape had remained loyal until the end. That was a doozy for the three troublemakers and the head girl. There were quite a few horrors that had been spilled in the past half hour and it would take a while to come to terms with it all.

"So, Remus suffered for hours before...?" Sirius began glancing over her head at Remus, who was looking down at her in an almost tender manner that struck him. Sirius was silenced however when Hermione stood up quickly, turning to walk away, before stopping herself and turning back to him in anger.

"Why do you not understand that I don't want to talk about it. Why can't you get that? Have you ever cared about anyone other than yourself? Damn it, Sirius! This should bother you! This sort of thing shouldn't be oh... so he suffered before he kicked the bloody bucket. All I could do was sit there while the man I loved died a slow and horribly painful death! All I could do was listen to his screams, listen to him ask me to end it over and over, but I couldn't. I was with him for hours before..." Hermione choked back a sob

Hermione became hysterical, her hands shaking, her eyes blazing like mad as she went on. "And then! And then, Severus had to do it for me. I tried to stop him too. Lord I tried to stop him, but they both knew he needed to finish it because we needed to move on. It wasn't safe there. Then... he stopped moving, stopped thinking, stopped breathing. He just stopped. Don't you understand that or is everything a joke to you!" she demanded. She pulled her hand away sharply as Remus tried to take hold of it to calm her. She stumbled a step backwards, just out of his reach. Lily and James knew better than to try and grab for her. Her heart pounded heavily and she felt as if she couldn't breathe.

"I never really understood why Mrs. Weasley said you were just a grown up child, but she was right. You never grow up, never," she said, her voice low and disbelieving. "Severus has always been right about you, you know. You're just a coward. I don't know how you ever got into Gryffindor!"

The whole room was dead silent as Sirius stared calmly up at Hermione who looked about ready to crack at any moment. Her ragged breaths filled the silence of the room. Sirius stood slowly, stepping towards her. She stepped back.

"You finished now love?" he murmured, softly.

"No, I'm bloody well not," she spat out, sobbing as she tried to wipe the tears that continued to fall.

"Like to take a swing at me as well?" he asked, very softly as he came directly in front of her, holding a hand down to Remus to stop him from getting up. There were whispers from the stairs. Apparently some students had heard her when she had started shouting at him.

Sirius placed a hand on her arm and she jerked away. He took firmer hold of her other arm and she punched him in the chest. Still he persisted. She then tried to push him away, but he pulled her to him. She sobbed sinking into his arms and gripping the back of his robes. Her knees gave way, but Sirius had a good grip on her and held her up.

"Oi, you lot, get back upstairs before I call McGonagall in here!" James called to the younger students who went running for their dorm rooms.

Sirius sank down to his knees, stroking Hermione's bushy hair in an almost loving fashion. "I just want them back, I just need them back Sirius," she sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Lily herself was crying as well, as her friend sobbed brokenly in Sirius' protective grasp. Remus closed his eyes, tightly. Part of him just wanted to ask Dumbledore to obliviate it all, to just make it all go away but he knew they couldn't do that. She was too important. Remus opened his eyes and Sirius waved his hand to him. "Come on, she'll sleep with us tonight," he said.

"What?" Lily whispered.

"It's not as if I'm going to take advantage of her. She's just going to sleep in our dorm tonight. Not gonna tell McGonagall on us are you?" Sirius said. Hermione said nothing as he pulled her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist. She was just tired... so tired.

"Let her have mine," Remus said from behind him, catching up to them on the stairs. Sirius looked back then nodded. Remus slipped ahead of them, opening the door to their room and holding it open for them. Peter scurried to his feet.

"She can't be in here!" Peter squeaked out.

"Sod off Peter," Sirius growled, still not right with him since he had abandoned Hermione in the middle of the fight at Hogsmeade. It was all too real. She was too real to be lying and he'd proved it to himself when he saw that cowardly disillusionment charm when he should have been fighting to get to someone, to help someone fight. Besides, Sirius knew Hermione too well now, cared about her too much to think that she could be false. There were facts and names and true emotion behind it all. Everything had a story, everything meant something.

He pulled back the blankets and Hermione sat down numbly. Remus scooted out the side table and drew his wand, intent on transfiguring it into a cot. "For goodness sake, Remus. There's enough room for the both of us. I promise not to cross over onto your side," she said, softly. Sirius snorted and Remus' wand stilled, his face going bright red. Hermione removed her shoes and her black cloak, sitting down on the bed, facing Sirius' bed. Her head was bowed slightly and her shoulders slumped over. She was tired and her chest felt like it was going to burst with all the pain and emotions swirling around in there. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up, covering the warm hand with her own and looking up into Sirius' handsome grey eyes.

"Thanks, Sirius," she murmured, faintly. He nodded, reaching around her and pushing the blankets back. He helped her to lay down and covered her up, turning back around after a small smile.

Remus watched this exchange with an interested eye. Sirius and Hermione were so close. After all the time he'd spent avoiding her, pretending she wasn't there, that her being there wouldn't affect him at all, he had a hell of a lot of catching up to do. Sirius though... he had been there for her from the very beginning. He had been there back at the Potter Residence. He'd gone there every day while she was there and was around if she needed anything. She'd bonded with Sirius almost immediately and more fully than she had with James or Lily. No, Sirius was no doubt her best friend, and now that Remus was just... a friend, he didn't know why he was reacting in the way he was. If he was identifying this emotion correctly, it was known as jealousy.

"Peter, go to bed," Sirius said. Remus rolled his eyes as he stripped off his shirt right in front of Hermione and started for his trousers unabashed. He felt a bit better as she groaned and pulled the blankets over her head, not wanting to see any more of him.

Hermione curled up on her side, hoping to just sleep but knowing it didn't come that easily. She felt the bed shift as Remus sat on the other side, removing his shoes that dropped to the floor. She felt an overwhelming wave of sadness. Remus never could just set his shoes down, always had to drop them from where he pulled them off. Then the shirt, she knew... he would toss it to the floor, to deal with in the morning. He had always slept in his undershirt and pants of course. She snorted. Well almost always...

Now it was harder to tell the difference between young Remus and her Remus. When he laid down, she could tell though because her Remus would have reached for her the moment he hit the mattress or the floor, depending on whose turn it was to sleep on one of the beds. She felt more tears trying to fight their way out but she refused to let them. She'd done quite enough crying now. She breathed deeply, Remus' faintly familiar smell filled her lungs. His magic... that was the same. She found that comfort enough for now. It was him because she could feel his magic all around her, just as it had always been.

Sirius smirked as Remus' soft snores finally filled the air, lacing his fingers behind his head. He knew James would be a while. He still had his rounds to make through the castle. Peter's wheezing had started about a half an hour ago, the signal that he was asleep.

"Sirius.." Hermione small voice floated to him.

"Yeah?" he grunted.

"I'm sorry... and... thank you," she whispered.

Sirius considered that for a few minutes. "I may not seem to understand sometimes love, but I do. I know you love him, because no matter how much you tell yourself otherwise, he's still your Remus, still the same person," Sirius said. Hermione winced at that, but also let herself consider it. She rolled over onto her back and glanced at Remus, sleeping on his side facing her now. She smiled. Same face, save a few of his nastier scars. She rolled back over to face the darkness of the room, closing her eyes tightly.

"_Hermione, shh, please_," she could hear his voice clearly in her ear. "_You have to sleep. You can't do this every night love or you'll not have the strength tomorrow_." Her stomach clenched and she felt she would retch. "_It's all right, baby. You're safe. I'm right here. I'm not going anywhere_," he had murmured.

Hermione's memory, triggered by the closeness of his magic made her heart ache. It hadn't happened this bad before, when she spent time with him around the school or in the common room. She stiffened suddenly, feeling a strong arm loop its way around her waist. She stayed there frozen. He couldn't be...? He was asleep still! She could hear his distinct breathing, calm and even. _The magic bonds, _she realized. His magic was pulled to her... because of the magical bonds she had created twenty years from now. Her distress had pulled him to her.

Hermione felt a familiar comfort flow through her. Sirius was right. He may not be hers yet, but he was still Remus, still the man she had fallen in love with, the man she would always love. She covered his large hand with her own, feeling it's warmth against her stomach and smiling. She gripped it and pulled it up, holding it between hers. "_Just the same, everything the same. Not even his little habits have changed_," she thought.

Finally, Hermione felt herself relax, closed her eyes and slept, the night blissfully free from those haunting nightmares.

"Remus," a voice hissed breaking through his sleep. He groaned, ducking his head from the light. A gentle smell of lavender and leatherbound books filled his nostrils and he sighed.

He heard laughing, then. "Oi, Remus, up with you now," the voice persisted, and he felt his shoulder nudged.

"Go away Sirius," he mumbled, irritably. He moved his hand sharply to hit him, and froze, a small warmth covering his hand.

"Not likely mate. We've got classes," James said, laughing.

Remus felt a small warm body pressed against him. His face flamed bright red and he slid his hand away fully, staring down at the brunette hair before his face. Recognition and understanding flooded through him. He glanced over his shoulder then at her.

"Yep, that was all you. She kept her word," Sirius hissed, trying to not wake Hermione, though it might be funnier to see Remus' reaction if she were conscious for his discomfort. He didn't get the feeling she'd care much after what seemed like a restful sleep.

Remus looked down helplessly at his other arm, pinned beneath her. He moved very slowly and James and Sirius realized how right they were in not waking her. It was hilarious to see their best mate trying to disentangle himself without rousing the girl. Her small hands clenched on the blanket and she rolled over onto her stomach with a tired murmur. Remus jerked back quickly, so quickly actually that he ended up tumbling off the other side of the bed.

Sirius, Peter, and James covered their mouths as they laughed at him, trying to pull himself up.

"No wonder you ended up right behind her. The girl's a serious blanket hog," James laughed. Remus' red face and wide eyes was quite the sight to behold.

"Come on, or we'll be late for potions, James said, tossing Remus a shirt.

"Should we..." Remus questioned.

"I doubt anything would wake her up from that sleep, maybe a kiss from her prince charming," Sirius whispered, making kissy kissy faces at Remus who paled.

"You're right, she needs her rest right?" he said, his voice going extremely high pitched.

"Right mate, genius you are," James said, ruffling his own hair as he passed them. "I'll be down in the common room."

"Right see you!" Sirius said, pulling Peter off with him. Remus looked at the sleeping girl, as he turned his wand on himself for a freshening spell before taking the shirt James had thrown at him, grabbing his tie as he threw his robes on over himself, escaping from the room as fast as was humanly possible.

They made it down to the dungeons just as Professor Slughorn was about to begin. Dropping into their seats and gasping from the run, they looked at each other for a moment then laughed. Hermione was going to be furious!

"Mr. Potter, Mr. Lupin. You haven't seen Miss Granger this morning by chance have you?" Professor Slughorn asked, stopping in front of their table.

"No, sir. I don't think she came down from her bed. She was pretty tired, sir," James said.

"Yes, yes, the poor girl has been looking a bit ill. See if our Miss Evans will try to help her to adjust," he suggested.

"Of course, sir," James replied, with a short nod and grateful smile.

"Right, then, shall we get down to it? How shall we learn to counteract the poisons that cannot be counteracted?"

"That's a rather stupid question, don't you think?" James whispered to Remus, who chuckled.

About halfway through their brewing of the anti-stimulus potion, the door burst open. James and Remus turned their heads and started roaring in laughter to see a very disshelved and rather furious wild-haired Hermione Granger.

Remus and James both ducked their heads, shoulders shaking as they tried to disguise their laughter. "Pardon me, professor. There seems to be a conspiracy in Gryffindor to keep me from my studies," she said. As she walked to the front of the class to take her seat by Snape, she smacked Remus on the back of the head.

"Ow!" he cried, rubbing the back of his head, with a wince.

"I will of course accept any punishment, sir," she said.

"No, no, I'm sure you can brew this potion. You're on par with Severus in everything so far," he said, waving his hand from his desk. She heard Snape's snort from beside her. "If you could turn in an essay, two feet on the effects of poison and the influence of Anti-Stimulus potions in mediwizardry today, that should make us 'even' as it were," he said.

"Thank you, professor," she said.

Remus' eyes narrowed as Snape leaned over and whispered something to her. She replied softly and they were drawn into a conversation that he wished he could hear, but alas even with his sharpened senses, he couldn't pick it up. He stared at them in frustration as Snape reached into his book bag and set a magazine on the table sliding it to her. She took it and he stopped her from pulling her hand back by taking hold of her wrist, looking down at her hand then saying something again to her.

He felt relieved when she seemed flustered at what he'd said and hissed something back venomously. He pulled his hand back, and sneered at her. He glanced back at Remus then looked at the girl again, his sneer becoming just a bit more powerful at that. Hermione's eyes were on the magazine which she looked over carefully, studying an article a few pages in it appeared.

"Remus, your potion!" James snapped. Remus' eyes darted to his potion which was bubbling dangerously close to the top. He slid his chair back.

There was a sound of a scraping chair and a moment later, Hermione stood on the opposite side of the table, expertly cutting and skinning. She added the ingredients swiftly, counting the time between the first and second under her breath. She pointed to a place in the book, where he should start working again and turned on her heel returning to her own seat and not even looking up at him.

"So she's actually angry about it," James said, snorting as a smile dawned on his handsome features. "Good luck with that mate."

"What? Why do I have to deal with it?" he said.

"Remus, you know you like the girl," James pointed out with a smile.

"Well of course I do but why..."

"She's mad at you, you dolt. She would have expected something like not waking her up for class from me and Sirius, but you're supposed to know better or some nonsense like that. I get that all the time from Lily," he added, in explanation.

"So what do I do?" Remus asked. James smirked.

"Well you'd better do something," he said, staring at Hermione was was looking over the book carefully as she spoke with Snape. Remus' eyes narrowed as Snape leaned over her and pointed to a section in the book. His wolfish side boiled possessively. He was the one she would need when she couldn't sleep, not Snape. He was the one she cared about, not Snape. He was the one she had chosen to marry in the future, not Snape. He realized with an angry growl that he had made no claim to her. He had no reason to be upset, but the jealousy did not abate.

Remus finished his potion swiftly and clumsily turning it in to a slightly disappointed Professor Slughorn a moment before Snape placed a perfectly-brewed vial before him. He simmered angrily, glaring at Snape's vial.

Hermione rolled her eyes when Snape gave Remus what seemed to be a challenging look and Remus' eyes flashed their wolfish gold. They were both so stupid. She glanced back at James who seemed to have swallowed a smile just in time, and was looking properly ashamed of himself. She knew though that that had to stem from his getting on Lily's nerves so often.

She met Remus' eyes and gave him an irritated look at his actions towards Snape. Sirius and James were expected to treat him badly, but Remus was not in the middle of that little war so she didn't see why he was acting like he was. She turned her head away as he passed, knowing he was acting childish on her behalf. Snape had been doing the same a short while ago, but honestly Remus knew better than that didn't he? He wanted to be friends right? Why would he think he had any right to get in a tiff with Snape over her. He didn't understand anything. Harry had always understood her.

Hermione stood sharply, walking from the room with a nod to Professor Slughorn. He looked a bit worried, but she had to get out. She could not stay in that room. She needed her friends, her real friends, the ones she had been born to make. The second she was out of the classroom, she leaned against the wall sliding down and pulling her bag up onto her lap.

She opened it slightly pulling a picture to her sight. It was the picture of the DA. She smiled sadly, looking down at the depressed figure that was Harry. She ran a small finger along the bottom of the picture. What she wouldn't give to have them back and to be there with them. She could give them the childhood they deserved, but she couldn't live that childhood with them, not again.

"Who're they?" Snape asked from above her. Hermione snapped her bag shut in an instant. This was a situation she didn't want to face. She racked her mind to find a quick escape and her heart pounded in her nervousness, but someone found a response for her.

"You'd do well to mind your own business, Severus," another voice said. Hermione turned her eyes to see Remus standing in the doorway behind Snape. Snape looked up at him in disgust.

"I don't remember speaking to you, Lupin," Snape growled. He glanced back at Hermione, then at him again threateningly before turning and walking down the hall towards the Slytherin Dormitories. Hermione found herself irritated once more as Remus glared at him until he had disappeared around a corner. She had found since her bite that her emotions were much more uncontrollable and she was even more prone to anger than she had been before.

"Sorry we didn't wake you, but you were very tired," Remus told her. He held a hand down to her. She ignored it, turning her head to the side slightly, not looking at him. He sighed crouching in front of her, his bag slung over his shoulder.

"I told you I was sorry didn't I?" he muttered.

"I can't believe that you would just... I mean, you shouldn't have ever..." Hermione trailed off. She'd tried for anger, but couldn't sustain it.

"It was the same room they were in," she said softly. "I woke up in the same room they lived in what seems like ages ago. I was there and they... they weren't and I felt so stupid. I still do. I'm like some stupid child running about trying to fix things that just, get worse the more I try and then I lash out at all of you and I know it's wrong and I know I shouldn't, but I just can't help it," Hermione said.

"We understand, besides... Lily does just the same thing and she doesn't even have a reason," he said. "Don't tell her I said as much though or she'll hex me for sure."

Hermione smiled sadly. Remus grasped her bag and pulled it from her, standing and holding a hand down to her again. She took it this time and he pulled her up. She straightened out her robes, then gave him a small smile. He offered her his hand and she looked up at him in surprise. "I know what I said, but... I obviously can't keep to that," he muttered, holding her gaze for a few moments, her surprise lingering still. He slowly lowered his hand embarrassed, but she took hold of it, a blush finally blossoming on her cheeks, faint but there. She allowed him to lead her up the stairs towards their next class.

James caught up with them about halfway, with a grand smile at the sight of their joined hands. That was not what he expected to find when he went after them after finishing his potion. He was surprised, but pleasantly so. He was happy that they finally realized they were good together. James seemed to have completely forgotten Hermione's earlier anger, which didn't bother her much.

"Hermione!" Lily called when they entered their charms classroom, but James half-jogged across the room, claiming the seat beside his girlfriend before Hermione had a chance. Hermione smiled, taking a seat at the table behind them.

Remus handed her her bag with a smile and she thanked him softly. He sat down beside her, taking out his charms book and placing it before him, his stomach churning with nerves and his hand still tingling with the feeling of not just her hand, but her magic. He could feel it lingering on his fingertips, tangible and very real.

"Perhaps you should start a group like the one your friend Harry did, 'Mione," James said. He had turned completely around in his seat.

"Me? I think that is hardly appropriate. I don't even know anyone here and the year will be over in a few months in any case," Hermione said, with a frown.

"I think that sounds like a good idea," Lily said. "Everyone in this school knows you are a good duelist. You've proved it on a couple occasions now."

"I don't see how that will help the students here at Hogwarts," Hermione said, shaking her head.

"We can be the Order of the Ash," James said, softly.

"James, now you're just being ridiculous coming up with names when I haven't said I'll even do it," Hermione said.

"You, me and Sirius... we're all the best duelists in the school. It should be easy to teach our friends enough to help Dumbledore a lot," James said.

"You and Sirius?... the best duelists in the school," Hermione snorted.

"How do you rank it then?" James asked

"Well, in a serious duel, you might be able to hold your own against Severus, but Sirius would probably only stand a minute or so," Hermione said, trying to be honest. Sirius' eyes flashed with raw fury and Lily looked to the side a bit, her face reddening. Hermione didn't know if that was embarrassment or anger.

"Remus might be able to fight him off with some luck on his side and myself, but only because I have a few years practical experience more than he does. I also know his fighting style pretty well, spent enough time trying to compliment it," she said

"You're only saying that because you've seen Remus and Snape fight twenty years from now, and reportedly both for our side," James hissed. Hermione hadn't expected him to attack his own friend's skill as a duelist, though he didn't explicitly say so. He respected Remus' ability as a duelist. He was right up there with him and Sirius in their Defense class and he was aware. She figured he was just angry in general at her defending Snape's skills.

"Not reportedly. The _professor _saved my life on several occasions and died an honorable death defending those weaker than himself," her voice softened as she said the last part. Remus stiffened beside her.

"What'd he do fling himself in front of a death curse for you?" James grumbled sarcastically. She lowered her eyes, glancing at Remus uncomfortably before nodding.

"For me... yes, something like that. He promised Remus to protect me and he did," Hermione said, darkly. James' jaw snapped shut and he growled in frustration. She felt Remus lean towards her and turned her head towards him slightly.

"Hermione, really it's a good idea. You could help a lot of people that way and the ministry and auror's academy could use as many well-trained wizards as they can get, even if you can only help a small bit," Remus whispered to her. Hermione held his gaze for a few long moments.

"I will think about it. In the meantime, you can all look for the room of requirement," she said, feeling as if she were being overruled. She figured this was probably how Harry had felt when she had forced the same upon him in their fifth year.

Please tell me what you think. Yes grammer, commas... got it, but really! Do you like where it's headed? Do you like how I'm going into the RLHG thing... tell me tell me!


	9. A Scene Recovered

If this just looks like a couple of snippits tacked in there, that's because they are. I've uncovered these from my files. There's a bit RLHG in each, just a bit and I don't remember the reason I took the second part out in the first place :). I just do some weird stuff I guess.

I really am sorry it's taken so long to update. I got kicked out and moved about 60 miles to my sister's house where I don't have internet on my computer, but I'll get back to my steady updating now. Her computer has internet so I'll use my thumb drive and get it over there. Thanks for staying with me because if you're reading this, you really are one of my truly avid readers.

Hermione laughed, shaking her head. She grabbed the water bottle back from Sirius. "This is all I'm good for then, the aguamenti charm?"

"Yes well, that and keeping Remus off of my back about homework," Sirius said, glancing over at Remus, who was leaning back against the bleachers, reading a small book. She chuckled.

"I'll be sure to tell him that you've been neglecting your work and that will be fixed up rather quickly won't it?" she said.

"You wouldn't dare!" Sirius said, scandalized.

"That or I'll tell Slughorn you miss the art of Potion Making and try to get you back into the class. You'd like that wouldn't you?" she questioned. That earned her one seriously nasty look.

"Sirius! Let's go!" James hollered. Sirius sighed.

"I swear, I can't even take a five minute break without you nagging me Prongsy," Sirius called back.

Hermione watched him fly off, walking over to sit beside Lily. Remus, his eyes not leaving his book, sat down on her other side. Peter and Lily were talking about some sort of transfiguration spell and Hermione was mildly surprised to hear that Peter seemed to know what he was talking about for once. She realized that he must have some ability in transfiguration to join his friends in learning to create their animagi though.

They'd spent more afternoons at the pitch lately. Hermione knew that the big Slytherin/Gryffindor quidditch game was coming up and they needed as much practice as they could get, but that didn't mean that their friends had to be there too, not that she could really complain. She didn't exactly have places to be and people to see. She liked the relaxation of simply sitting out here in the sunshine and passing the day with her friends.

"Do I know anyone on the Slytherin Quidditch team?" she asked, conversationally, after looking over Remus' shoulder for a while, trying to make out what he was reading. It was in Latin though and even though she could read bits of it, she wasn't near fluent as she knew Remus was.

"Severus plays," Lily said, her voice almost a growl, gaining an odd look from Remus. Hermione noticed James look over from halfway across the pitch and smile mischievously. He was getting better at using that necklace of his. Hermione could imagine her feelings on the brooding Slytherin who had so offended her not so very long ago.

"Anyone else?" she asked.

"Mostly death eaters, the lot of them. Both sides will be right close to drawing their wands through the whole match," Remus said, darkly, as Sirius swooped past, batting away a bludger that had been heading straight for Hermione.

Hermione, who was used to bludgers coming at her, hadn't even flinched. On the pitch with Fred and George for Holidays with the Weasleys had taught her that while one would hit it at her, the other would hit it away last second. That seemed to be Sirius and his fifth year mate Jeremy's tactic as well, the little blighter.

Remus had had his wand out but knew much the same... that Sirius would have stopped it. He tucked it away when the bludger was batted aside and Hermione opened her own book and read a paragraph or so before looking up at the quidditch team again.

"Did you ever play quidditch?" she questioned, glancing at Remus, who finished his yawn and looked over at her.

"He's a brilliant keeper," Lily piped up from Hermione's other side, glad to finally know something about one of the guys that Hermione didn't. Hermione smiled slightly. She had known that he'd played in his second through fifth years at Hogwarts, but it felt better to ask all the same. It made it all a bit more normal. She hadn't known that he was "a brilliant keeper", but Remus always was modest.

"I can play, but after a while I decided it was better to just... be any other student. Got too complicated with all of it, you know," he said. She nodded looking up at James who was hovering high above them.

"Complicated... guess you need a break from that sometime don't you?" she said, with contemplation in her expression.

"Don't you love those times when you can just stop worrying about it... all of it, when you can just take a deep breath and forget it all if only for a few minutes," Lily said.

"I'll just be glad when it's all over," Hermione said. "And it will be... someday. I'm a lot more mature than the last time I joined the order; that's for certain."

"After all you've faced, it's certain that you're more mature than most of the order members twice your age," Lily said with a sad smile in her friend's direction.

"You really are brilliant," Peter said, softly. Hermione looked at him, not responding, but thinking on him for a moment. He looked very uncomfortable, ashamed almost. He dared only small glances at her in his embarrassment.

"Now if only I could take back that maturity, for a little more naivety and foolish hope," she whispered, ducking her head to hide her face a bit behind her only slightly-tamed hair.

Remus took her hand and squeezed it. She stole a glance at him to find him staring intently at her. He smiled slightly and she met his gaze feeling her heart swell and her eyes water slightly. She looked away though, and his hand left hers, his eyes going to his book once more.

An owl fluttered past, catching everyone's attention. and Lily caught a letter that dropped into her hands. They both looked in her direction partially interested.

"Well, that might prove inconvenient," Lily muttered, after reading the letter. "James!" she shouted waving to him.

He caught sight of her and smiled, speeding over on his broom. He sped and dropped gracefully in front of her, grabbing her around the waist and kissing her before she got to say a word. Hermione snorted, shaking her head. She snatched the letter from Lily's hand and read it. She paled.

"Practice is over," Lily said after a short breathless moment.

"Huh?" James asked as if those three words were beyond his comprehension.

"Slytherin's headed here right now and you will not stick around to see what they do when they find you here," Lily said with authority.

"We have the pitch scheduled!" James growled. Hermione remembered a similar argument from during her own school days. It seemed Slytherins never did change.

"Slughorn signed it himself. You can't do anything about it now. Come on then, end it," Lily said.

"Better do as she says mate. She is head girl," Remus pointed out.

"I'm Head Boy!" James shot back.

"A poor one if one at all," Hermione muttered.

"I plan on giving Dumbledore a bad report on you now. I just want you to know that. 'Conspiring with power-hungry persons,' I'll tell him. 'Not respecting her handler' I'll say," James threatened Hermione. To that she laughed in his face.

"Oi! We're wrappin' it up early mates!" James shouted. Lily winced, but didn't get to scold him for practically yelling in her ear, before he had taken off to round up the troops.

Hermione, Lily, and Remus walked down to the pitch together and watched as Slytherin left their locker room, just beside the just as James, the last player stepped into theirs. James made sure to send the Slytherins a dirty look over his shoulder. Currently the Slytherins were walking directly towards them as they were in the walkway towards the pitch, where the stares come out.

"Out of the bloody way," a Slytherin growled out, shouldering past Remus, pushing him into Hermione, who was steadied by another hand, but it was gone before she could fully register it. Her eyes caught Snape's for the briefest moment, before he turned his eyes forward. Hermione calmed Remus with a hand on his shoulder and a gentle pull of the arm towards the nearest exit. She glanced back at him once more before pulling Remus away. He was still glaring at the back of the Slytherin who had jarred him.

Remus looked around the forest, frowning. Sirius and James had gone down to the pitch for a bit of extra practice, Peter on their heels and Lily was tutoring Janice in Charms, leaving him to find out where Hermione went off to. The Grey Lady had told him that she had wandered off into the forest with a book in hand. She went off for a while about how she had much better things to do with her time than know the whereabouts of silly little girls.

He placed a hand on a tree, looking around. With a sigh, he made sure no one was looking and took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He listened keenly, suddenly a soft smell caught the breeze. He turned towards it and started walking that way slowly. He stopped when she heard a voice. It was definitely Hermione, but who was she talking to? He stayed back a bit, looking from behind the tree to see her speaking softly, but to no one it seemed.

She was doing something in the air with her hand. He frowned, looking at her confusedly. Had she really lost it? Had they not noticed it so far. She knelt down, and... well it looked like she was petting something, but there wasn't anything there. Suddenly he noticed the branches cracking on the ground in front of her, then he began to notice the branches all over the clearing moving.

"You going to stand there forever, Moony?" she asked, but she didn't look at him. He stepped from around the tree, looking at her.

"Smell me out did you?" she asked, her eyes still locked on whatever was there that he couldn't see. There was almost a tenderness there in those hazel eyes, a softness that he had seen from her before.

"Why can't I see it?" he asked.

"Well, at least you believe that it's there. I didn't believe Harry the first time he commented on seeing one," Hermione said. She finally looked up at him, the full intensity of those eyes hitting him and making a shiver run through him at the jolt of magic that flooded over him.

She walked a few steps towards him until she was standing right in front of him. She raised a hand and touched his cheek with her fingertips lightly. He started, glancing at the hand and then at her. She smiled slightly lowering her hand. "You haven't seen death," she murmured. She reached out and took his hand, pulling him a few feet forward and raising his hand gently to place it on a strangely cold thing. He pulled it back sharply then the thing moved and he felt bones slide beneath his fingers.

"Thestrals. They pull the carriages. A person can only see a thestral if they have seen death in their life. I doubt it will be long before you can see what they really look like so I don't really think I need to explain them. They're sad creatures, misunderstood and mournful for the most part," she said. "Some will let you ride them, but most people don't go anywhere near them. They're not exactly beautiful, but they are wonderful."

"You can only see them if they've seen death? Sirius said something about a creature that pulls the carriages. A thestral... this is what he meant?" Remus asked, raising his hand and zoning in on the slightly ashy scent of the thestral before him and placing his hand on it once more.

"Yes," she nodded, her soft eyes shifting to another creature. "I'm not sure whose death he's seen. He's very quiet about it, tries to pretend he doesn't notice them."

Hermione walked to small boulder and perched atop it. "Sirius has had it harder than the rest of us," Remus said, sitting beside her.

"It's made him strong though. His bravery in leaving that place has solidified his beliefs. He is unshakable now, lock him up for twelve years in Azkaban and he'll still believe the same as he does now," she said.

"Is that why you're so close to him? He's the same as when you knew him?" Remus asked carefully.

"When you have a terrible day, the night before had been a full moon, and all your classes had gone wrong, who do you want to see in the common room?"

"Sirius," Remus said immediately.

"Well I've had more than a bad day and Sirius is the one person in this time that I think can truly understand that. He's one of the best friends I've ever had I think..." Hermione muttered. Remus nodded, not looking at her. He felt as if he could never measure up to Sirius. Perhaps he was out of his element with Hermione. He glanced at her to see her staring at him. She smiled.

"You're a good friend too Remus. Don't try to read into everything I say. Sirius and I aren't going to go off and elope one weekend," Hermione said, with a smirk.

"I didn't... I mean... right- sorry," Remus nodded.

"I think I'm going to head in," she said, standing. "You coming?" she asked. He nodded standing and following her down the path towards Hogwarts, their conversation turning to James and Lily and whether they'd ever stop fighting. Hermione took Remus' arm as they walked, causing him to look down at her in surprise, but it was a pleasant surprise.

So, yes, this is a short chapter, but the next one will be longer I promise.


	10. A Potion Created

Story AN:

Hello again. This chapter is pretty average for me in this story I think. I still am only at chapter 17 overall and at the insistence of some of you I've put more Peter into the later chapters. This is where I had addressed the Peter issue before I began posting. See, when I started writing it about six months ago, I was thinking just like the rest of you... Peter can't just be a nobody. He's there and he'd a person. I wanted to get across that Hermione didn't see him as a person, but here he starts to form up a bit. Chapter 16 I think is where I get a bit more Peter development going on. Well, I can't remember which exactly, but he isn't forgotten. Don't worry.

To My Readers...

Once again sorry about the wait. It's a bit crazy with 40 hours a week at the Deli and moving to a new state with hardly any money. I'm just thankful I have my sisters. Without them, I probably wouldn't even be able to go to college this year. So everyone, if you have siblings... seriously let them know what they mean to you. They'll be the people you'll have with you for the rest of your life. They'll be the ones who will always be with you even through the worst times.

Well... them and your readers... You guys are great. Thank you for the feedback.

A week had gone past and time was growing still shorter. Hermione spent more and more time with Remus as it went. The more time spent, the closer they became. Remus noticed Sirius move away from him a bit it seemed. He hardly spoke to him, but Remus didn't really know what to do about about it. Sirius was really hard to figure out sometimes but Hermione told him not to worry about it. She told him it would be all right.

Sirius had actually pulled from the entire group a bit. The stress of finally graduating and leaving the haven that was Hogwarts was exhilarating, but Hermione and James knew Sirius better. He was terrified of leaving the one place he'd felt like he belonged. Sirius tried to hide it from them, but they knew him too well. He had got himself a new girlfriend that week and could be found in various corridors with her at all times of the day.

Remus and Hermione were much more calm about their new, strange relationship than all that, but they did both acknowledge not that there really was something there. Hermione tried not to think too much about the future, but it was still pretty bad sometimes. She had spent only one more night that week up in the boys dormitories, and she was happy to say her sleep was getting almost to normal. She still had dreams, but had learned to sleep through them for the most part if she had them at all.

This particular night now, no matter how hard Hermione tried neither tactic worked. She couldn't simply push her memories of her favorite mentor's death aside. They were too painful, too powerful. She had something important to do though. Tonight was good night to get it done so she headed down to the dungeons as quickly as she could.

Hermione tried to sneak past Slughorn as she made her way to a private lab, Friday night. She didn't really like working up in the common room at night, and when she couldn't sleep this was what calmed her, working. She hadn't counted on Slughorn being in the way of her and her empty lab room. She finally made it past him after about five full minutes and a tricky disillusionment charm. When you weren't supposed to exist, you learned how to stay invisible pretty well.

She slipped into the lab room and closed the door behind herself. They were protected from warding so she just closed and locked it, hoping someone didn't come looking for her. Her arm load of books was getting just a bit heavy for her tastes. She looked at the potion she'd left simmering, raising the heat and observing it carefully.

"Aha! Knew I'd catch you, miscreants!" Professor Slughorn cried throwing the door open. She jumped, grabbing for her wand and turning it upon him. When she recognized him she lowered it in surprise. So he'd been in the hall for a reason. He stopped when he saw her. "Miss Granger!" he said in surprise. She let out a breath.

"You shouldn't be out after hours," he chided. She smiled sheepishly. "What exactly are you doing?"

"I couldn't sleep," she said, "and I had to look after this potion anyway. I was going to give it thirty-six hours to simmer, but when I checked it after classes this afternoon, it looked like it had almost finished this stage. Using my theory for the potion, I estimated that I needed to alter the second external ingredient before adding the base approximately eight hours on high heat."

She set out the ingredient box that she had balanced on top of her books and opened it, looking through before taking out a small vial of silver powder, tapping the side carefully to add a very small amount. A small blue poof broke free from the metallic purple surface of the potion. "I needed to be here to make sure that it succeeded so I brought materials to study while I waited. I didn't think it would be a problem, no classes tomorrow and all." She turned to glance over at him.

"Well, far be it for me to interfere with a student's scholastic endeavors. Might I ask what you are creating? It neither looks nor smells like one of those potions you've been inventing for Candice's Cauldron Cosmetics," he said. She studied his face for any trace of mocking, but there seemed to be a glint of respect in his eyes, no derision.

"No, cosmetic potions are all generally required to contain one of three particular bases and none will give the metallic hue or the heavy scent," she agreed. She knew that as flippant as Slughorn seemed every one in a while, he truly did know his potions. He was no Severus Snape, but he was impressive in his own right and he understood what she was talking about.

"So..." Professor Slughorn frowned, walking closer and looking down on it.

"You will keep this between us?" she asked. He nodded, sincerely intrigued.

"It's a potion that would allow someone to repel an _Imperius_ curse with more ease," she said.

"_Imperius_ curse?" he repeated, staring at her. "You believe that you can accomplish this?"

"I can certainly try. The theory is sound. I just have to put it into practice," she said.

"Practice? You're going to have someone perform Imperius?" he hissed.

"The headmaster, yes in a controlled environment," she said.

"If someone casts the curse on you, they would be able to keep you from reaching for a potion. The potion would be difficult to adapt to such a situation," he told her.

"It's not an on-the-spot antidote. The process would be more like building an immunity. A person would have to take the potion once a day for approximately a month and by that time full immunity would be achieved," she explained.

"How did you come up with something like this?"

"I was researching werewolves, actually," she said, stretching the truth a bit. He nodded, looking quite intrigued. "I found that a werewolf, even in human form is very difficult to place under the curse and for many impossible. I collected a few ingredients from Knockturn Alley that I'd rather not say aloud you understand," she said.

Professor Slughorn said nothing to that. All potions masters had had to pick up a few illegal ingredients every once in a while and he wasn't about to keep her from making such a groundbreaking potion for purchasing a few questionable ingredients. Besides, he was a Slytherin and he would benefit from her creating a brilliant potion more than most. He wasn't about to step in to keep her from accomplishing it.

"You're certain on your ingredients? Some could be volatile," he warned.

"I've melted three cauldrons, but Candice allows me unlimited Potions Supplies. The shop in Hogsmeade won't even take my money, sent back a few galleons I spent there last Hogsmeade Weekend when they realized it had come from me. This time is the one," she said. "This time it will work."

"Well, I'll leave you to it then. It is a matter of scholastic import. I see no reason to keep you from expressing your creative abilities because of the hour." He gave her a large smile that just told her that she'd soon see one of those ridiculous Slug Club meetings. She nodded to him and he left her.

She looked at the brew and frowned, wondering if it really would work. After three cauldrons melted, one explosion she had decided not to mention to Slughorn and one test on a small spider, she was quite certain the end result would work out just as she wished, but she couldn't be sure until she tried it on a non-werewolf subject.

When she had noticed her resistance to the curse, she'd been locked up with Ginny in a dark room. Bellatrix Lestrange had tried to make Ginny attack Hermione, but Ginny had always had a sort of penchant for resisting the curse. Lestrange had tried to change and make Hermione go after Ginny, but Hermione had found that the curse had almost no effect on her.

That was when her mind had started on the potion, but it had taken a while after returning to this time for her to work up the courage to face what she had seen and thought in that prison, that horrible prison. They had waited until her third moon to leave Ginny in with her, didn't want any battle for control by her human mind, though honestly if they'd locked them up on the first, Hermione knew she wouldn't have been able to control herself.

Finally when it did happen, a rift had been created somehow, so throwing Hermione into the grips of time. She had wondered at why it had brought her back to that particular moment in time, but knew that she couldn't ever truly find that out. She could, however, look at a theory.

She had left her time on a full moon, a time where the height of a wizard's power was reached. She was also sent while in transformation. It was horribly dangerous to send normal people through rifts, but magical creatures usually managed well enough so it made sense that Ginny wasn't pulled in with her. The forest itself had no particular significance, except for one thing. Remus had been in that forest and Remus had been transformed as well. That was something that she knew could not be coincidence. Something had drawn her to Remus and that something was beyond her feelings. She wasn't a romantic sap for goodness sake. She was logical and calculating. She knew it had to have something to do with their magical bond.

Hermione watched her potion for a moment more before turning to her books. She removed her Mystic Topaz ring and placed it on the table directly in front of her, reaching for the first book, Magical Handfasting and the Ancient Power Beyond.

She had been glad to find her studying skills had not whittled away in her few years without any books or essays when she'd returned to Hogwarts. She didn't study for her classes as much. She had plenty of practical knowledge and if anything the months she'd spent away from Hogwarts had made every book she'd ever read really seep into her. She knew more than she'd ever known and she didn't plan to go back to staying up all night just to cram for an exam she was perfectly prepared for. No, she needed any moment's sleep she could get and any time she needed for study would be for something that might help Remus or her friends, not improve her marks.

Hermione stayed awake the entire night, reading through the book, diligently and glancing over her potion every once and a while. As she watched the potion mature through its final stage, she realized that the last ingredient would have to be added in increments. It was maturing too quickly and the properties indicated that the end result would be much better if her calculated amount was added once every hour rather than all at the end. She hadn't worked so hard under Snape to end up inept. She was very good at brewing and no one would deny that she'd grown since a first year, terrified her cauldron would explode, that she would slip up and Snape would send her a nasty comment or even worse, give her a poor mark.

She looked up from her studies of a book on the magical properties of mystical stones, specifically the chapter on mystic topaz, the stone that was set in her wedding ring, sensing a familiar magic aura. She turned just before the door opened to reveal Severus Snape, who froze when he saw her, looking around the room in confusion before his eyes settled on her once more.

"Snape," she muttered, nodding to him.

"What are you doing down here?" he asked. "At six in the morning," he added after looking at his watch.

"That late already?" she asked with a shrug, turning back to her books. His eyes settled on her potion the table over and he moved forward. He observed it for a long time, but Hermione didn't prompt a conversation with him.

"A neural-based potion," he muttered, his tone slightly questioning.

"Very good. You'll probably pass your Potions NEWT with that intuitive skill," she said, sarcastically. She was tired and Snape was not someone she wished to have a conversation with at the moment. The little blighter following her around was enough to make her angry. What made her more irritated was that she didn't know why he was doing what he was doing.

"You've invented a potion?" he questioned. "It's in the final stage so I assume you've tested it already."

"Yes, Snape. I have tested it," she said in a clipped tone.

"What does it do?" he asked.

"Stimulates the cerebral cortex," she said, simply. Let him figure it out himself, she wasn't about to tell a death eater that she had found the order a way to building an immunity to the Imperius Curse. No, she wasn't stupid.

"What for?" Snape pressed.

"Snape, I'd really appreciate if you would just-" Hermione stopped short, standing quickly. Her chair scraped on the ground as she did so. There was a sharp pulling deep in her gut. She created a complicated ward over her potion so he couldn't get within five feet, snatched her ring off the table and placed a confundus charm on the books so he couldn't read what she'd been studying, all wordlessly, before jogging towards the door. She ran out without a word to Snape.

She sprinted through the halls towards the strong pull gripping her. It was coming from the first floor. She could feel that. She drew her wand, running faster as she felt the feeling intensify. She threw open a door as she felt a pull that way, cruel laughter through it making her heart jerk.

"STUPEFY!" she roared. A boy went flying. She performed two expelliarmus spells silently before anyof the could react. She batted aside a spell and performed another disarming spell, throwing another backwards. She called for their wands and they all were pulled to her, dropping at her feet. "Peter, get behind me," she snapped harshly, though for once her derision wasn't directed at him, but the Slytherins that had moments ago surrounded him. The boy, clutching that small orb that was glowing bright yellow, with a shaking terrified hand. He scuttled over behind her.

Hermione heard footsteps and shouts from behind her as the three boys who were still awake and aware stared at her, reproachfully. One though, was not as afraid as the others. He dove for his wand. She didn't even open her mouth as she performed a spell. He went flying back towards two of his friends, who jumped out of the way to avoid him. They both held up their hands in surrender.

"Petrificus Totallis!" two voices said from behind her and the two Slytherins both seized up, bodies locking in a petrified position. They fell back with dull thuds. She glanced over her shoulder at Peter, seeing he had shrunk back behind Sirius and James who had wands in hand, Remus running up behind them.

"What was that?" Remus asked, rubbing his stomach uncomfortably.

"Peter used his Christmas present," Hermione mumbled shortly, pocketing her wand and brushing past them. She didn't even glance at Peter. She walked down the hall back towards the dungeons. Remus jogged up behind her, falling in step with her.

"You protected him," Remus said. She said nothing. "You don't even like him."

"Apparently my Christmas present worked. He's still loyal... just a coward," Hermione gritted out. Remus stared at her. She glanced at him then sighed. "You know how I said the people he was most loyal to would come to him? I was drawn to him, which means he's loyal to me. I couldn't not defend a comrade, no matter how much of a rat he is. I want to know why he was in that room at this time in the morning with a bunch of Slytherins though."

"He's loyal to us..." Remus murmured, stricken.

"For now, yes," Hermione grumbled. "Do not let your guard down, Remus. I'm not losing you to that... that..." she trailed off, her breathing heavy. Remus caught her wrist taking her other one gently, raising her hands in front of him. He looked at them then at her face. Her hands were shaking severely. She looked away from him.

"How many?" he asked.

"How many what?" she hissed, looking away from him still.

"Invigoration drafts," he growled, becoming angry.

"I have to finish this potion," she said, pulling her hands away from him sharply. She walked swiftly down the hallway.

"You're going to sacrifice your own health to make some stupid potion so shallow girls can have glowing hair or softer skin!" he hissed, following her quickly. He wasn't about to let her off that easily.

"My potions are not that shallow!" she snapped, testily.

"Your last invention was named Silky Smoothing Spray," he said. She shook her head. The potion made hair behave, went a completely different direction than the Sleakeasy potion. It had none of the same bases which made her feel okay about having played off the idea. Besides, it worked better so no awkward fourteen year old girls would have to suffer the trauma of spending 4 hours applying that stupid potion to manage hair that was not manageable.

"It isn't for Candice," Hermione muttered, very short as she finally made it to the corridor where the potions lab she used was. He was insulting her and it made her angry which made her walk faster, which didn't help her much because he found the pace quite easy with his long legs. She was only wearing herself out in her anger. After all, he'd just awoken from a probably long and restful sleep.

She entered to see Snape sitting on the opposite end of the old potions lab. Couldn't he find his own damn lab. She felt anger rise at that fact. She knew this irrational anger only stemmed from having to defend someone she loathed. She had felt obligated, but now wished she'd just left him there for James and Sirius to deal with. She shouldn't have even gotten involved. She was honestly painting a target on her back for these Slytherins and she didn't know why. Death eaters were already curious about her, why was she opening herself up so much. One chain of events had let to an attack on Hogsmeade. Who knew what this could lead to. The world was almost completely out of her timeline now that there had been such an important attack. She could only imagine what this could lead to.

"What is it then?" Remus said.

"She's working on a potion that stimulates the cerebral cortex," Snape said, loudly.

"So Snape knows what it is," Remus said, irritated.

"Shut up Remus. Snape has no idea what he's talking about. Why are you still here?" she growled at the dark-haired student in the back of the room.

"Well are you going to tell me what it is?" Remus' tone was becoming irritated.

"Think I'm going to tell you with him in the room?" she snapped, nodding towards Snape. She didn't bother to lower her voice. She didn't care if he didn't know that she knew that he was following her about like some creepy shadow. She knew that she knew and that was enough for her to show her anger.

"Why **are** you here Snape?" Remus demanded.

"I've used this lab for years. She's the one invading my space, not that I need to justify myself to someone like you," Snape said, turning a page in his potions text. He had a cauldron set up on his lab table on low fire.

"Whatever, the potion's finished now," Hermione said, walking to the front of the room. She opened the large cupboard there and took out a set of vials from the back, walking back to the desk. "I need to find someone to test it on."

"Use it on him," Remus muttered, dark eyes on Snape. She gave him a long-suffering look.

"You won't be saying that when I tell you what it does," she said seriously. "I think I'll have Lily try it... or Sirius, probably Sirius."

"You're going to experiment on our friends?" Remus asked, confused.

"It's been tested. I'm not poisoning anyone," she said.

"Pity," Snape muttered from the back.

"Shut the bloody hell up, Snape. No one invited you into this discussion you arrogant bastard," Hermione snapped. Remus glanced at her in surprise. She'd been irritated with Snape before, but she usually tried to be civil. He didn't look surprised at the outburst though, just smirked, still not looking up from his text.

"Can you help me?" Hermione asked Remus. He stepped forward, holding each vial steady and then capping them as she filled them. She cleaned the mess with a wave of her wand, turning to levitated the books and her ingredient box. Remus picked up the full vial set carefully and followed her from the room.

Hermione blinked away her tiredness, walking through the hallways until she made it to the wall. She placed her hand on it to be sure, before stepping through carefully, levitating the books along with her. Remus followed her into the narrow passageway and they headed up the magically shortened passage to the corridor adjacent to the corridor below the stairs to the portrait of the fat lady. Hermione gritted out the password and they entered the empty common room. It was still early.

"Where are those three," Hermione muttered under her breath. They had to be three of the only other Gryffindors awake at this hour. It was amazing they'd been able to get down to Peter so fast, but she knew they knew every passage in Hogwarts. She also wondered why Peter had even been awake and down near the entrance hall in the first place. It didn't seem like a room even Peter could be dragged to from that distance, but she'd let James deal with that. She wasn't the only order member at Hogwarts.

"You're going to tell me what this is?" Remus asked, setting the set down on a table near the back of the room. She sat down in a large cushioned chair beside the table, her eyes on the potion. She was unsurprised when Remus slipped into the chair beside her, arm around her shoulders. It was a tight squeeze, but they both fit. They'd been fighting only a few minutes before, but now it seemed they were back to normal, well normal as of late. She closed her eyes, leaning against him tiredly.

"It's a potion that is going to allow the order to build near complete immunity to the imperius curse," she said softly as if it were nothing.

"Imperi- how did you come up with something like that?" he questioned, leaning back to look down at her, which was hard with her head on his shoulder.

"It's almost impossible to place the Imperius Curse on... our kind," she mumbled. He stiffened, but was intrigued still. "I doubt you ever had a chance to realize that and I doubt many werewolves were potions masters, hard for werewolves to get an apprenticeship with any potion master in the first place."

"So you used something to do with werewolves to create this potion?" he asked, looking at the small vials of the thick blue potion with that metallic sheen to its surface.

"Ground fang of a werewolf and a few of my own hairs from my last transformation," she said. "I'd ripped out plenty. It was only a matter of getting the same room back from the Room of Requirement," she said with a shrug.

"Normally, I'd have been morally against buying something like ground fang of werewolf, but here I feel that the end result is worth the means used to acquire the ingredient," Hermione muttered, hating how Slytherin she sounded.

"You think it will really work?" Remus asked, looking at it.

"Yes... I'm almost certain. The potion stimulates a part of the cerebral cortex upon the application of the curse and after a series of treatments of the potion, twice a day for two weeks straight, allows the person to keep control of their mind. When the Imperius Curse is applied, it dulls down that part of the brain and takes control of the brain stem that controls most of the nervous system," she said. "It seems like a little voice in the back of your head, but really their influencing your entire nervous system."

"I understood none of what you just said to me, except the twice a day for two weeks bit," he added with a smirk.

"Muggle medicine for the most part," she said, blushing. "We should have either Lily, James, or Sirius start the treatment when they come in," she murmured, tiredly.

"James is able to fight it off pretty well already," Remus told her. "Sirius tried to make him get him a drink once last year."

Hermione snorted, chuckling. "Well Lily or Sirius, whoever gets here first." She yawned, wondering if she should place the vials someplace safer, but her eyes were so heavy. She felt them drooping more and more until finally they slid closed, allowing her to sink against Remus, who was lost in his own thoughts about the difference such a potion could make, would make in this fight and this was just her first contribution, just the beginning of what she could do.

They were beginning to see how brilliant this young witch really was, this young witch who was his, who he could protect because her magic was his and his was hers. He looked at the pile of books. He'd already looked at one of them, checked it out a few weeks ago.

He had remembered his question to Sirius, "How was it that we were both in that forest at the same time?" In the past month or so that question had become, "How did she travel across time and space only to end up in that precise forest in the same area, during the full moon when they were so far from Hogwarts?" It would have made sense if she'd been drawn to the magic of Hogwarts, but he'd found out that she'd been drawn to his magic, not Hogwarts. He'd found that even across time, the bonds of a magical hand-fasting were still strong which made it clear why he felt so drawn to her, or perhaps that was only part of it.

He looked down at her, unsurprised to see her sleeping. This was all very strange for him, but he knew that it had to be weird for her as well. He was confused, had only had a few girlfriends in his years at Hogwarts and had not gotten very close to them. He tried to stay at least emotionally detached as much as possible, afraid of what they would think if they found out, but then this brilliant witch invaded their world, beautiful and strong, and... in love... with him of all people.

She had known what he was and accepted him even before she herself was bitten. She was so much like him in so many ways, so perfect and when they weren't similar in something, they complimented each other. How he had lived knowing this girl for so many years, so young and so out of his reach without going insane he would not could not know, but she hadn't cared then and now that she was a few years older than him, he found he could not care. He was becoming closer to her and he could feel it too.

Remus knew Hermione had no idea that he was so in tune with the magical bonds, but any werewolf could feel magic more powerfully than normal wizards. That powerful magic was what kept him away in the first place. It had made him uncomfortable. The power was almost frightening really. He could feel her even when she wasn't right beside him. He'd be drawn to her when she was distressed. He didn't need one of those necklaces that Lily and James had. His wolf was also drawn to hers and that only made it harder to stay away from her.

Remus glanced over when the door opened and waved Sirius over. James and Peter were not with him and he didn't actually bother asking where they were. "You're going to be the first person in history to build an artificial immunity to the Imperius Curse," he whispered.

Sirius frowned at him. "Drink one of those," Remus instructed.

"Need more explanation before I go downing potions, mate," Sirius said, reproachfully.

"Hermione created it, has something to do with the ability of werewolves to withstand the curse. She used that to develop a potion. You're going to drink this twice a day until all the vials are gone," Remus told him.

"Why me?"

"Because I'd feel bad putting the imperius curse on Lily and I don't think Hermione wants to use Peter," Remus shrugged. Sirius shrugged, taking a vial and uncapping it. He downed it.

"Ugh, it's bloody awful," Sirius said, making a face.

"Good," Remus smirked. He glanced at Hermione. "I should probably get her upstairs before the other students start coming down." He considered for a moment, ignoring Sirius' sarcastic comment about something or other.

"Guard that, will you?" Remus asked, nodding to the set of vials.

"Well it's mine now isn't it? I might as well take it up to our room," Sirius shrugged, picking it up carefully and heading for the stairs.

Remus slipped his arm behind Hermione, not hard since it was already around her. He slid a hand under her knees. She groaned. "I can walk," she murmured, half-asleep as he lifted her up. He chuckled.

"Not unless you've got some sleep-walking talent you haven't told me about," he muttered, heading towards the stairs. He carried her up to the room, glad that Sirius had left it open. He was placing the set on his dresser. Remus watched as he disillusioned it, actually impressed at Sirius' forethought.

Sirius looked over as Remus walked in, walking to his mate's bed and pushing back the covers that had been straightened by the house elves already by the looks of it. "Class," Hermione murmured, tiredly.

"It's a bloody Saturday and she's worried about classes that she doesn't even have," Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I'll wake you before we leave for Hogsmeade in a few hours," Remus promised softly as he laid her down.

"Promise?" she asked, not opening her eyes.

"Yes," he said, kissing her on the forehead before pulling the blankets over her.

"Oh you two are nauseating," Sirius complained. "Honestly, you're worse than James and Lily and you aren't even officially together."

"Are too," Hermione argued, through the haze of her half-sleep.

"Apparently we are. I can quote that right?" Remus asked, smirking at Sirius, who rolled his eyes.

"Hardly, she's not even awake," Sirius told him.

Sirius fell into his bed, curling up around his pillow and closing his eyes. "Why did she help Peter? She even got to him before us..." Sirius asked after a short pause, his voice very soft. Remus' ears pricked.

"He is loyal to her. That's what she said. The ball calls those he is loyal to, not those who are loyal to him and it pulled at her quite strongly I think, which is probably why she was able to get to him from the dungeons without any passages while it took us longer to reach him from the tower," Remus said, glancing down at her. She had rolled away from them, her breathing steady and calm. He knew she was fast asleep, not listening to them.

"She is a Gryffindor of course, loyalty above all else. He is loyal which in her eyes makes him worthy... for now," Sirius mumbled.

"I don't think I can trust him fully yet, not after he abandoned Hermione in Hogsmeade. James asked through the aurors and Moody said he saw Peter running off behind the back of the wizard attacking Hermione, when he could have turned his wand on him and saved her," Remus muttered. Sirius nodded in agreement with a yawn, closing his eyes and slipping into sleep.

Remus headed downstairs quickly and collected Hermione's books, carrying them upstairs. He placed them on the dresser next to his bed, sitting on the edge of the bed once more. He picked up the small book on properties of magical stones. He reached out his hand to pick up Hermione's right hand that lay on the bedspread. He looked at the ring for a long moment. It was very pretty. "Mystic Topaz," he identified softly, holding onto her hand for a few moments more than necessary. That was a very powerful stone, expensive in the wizarding world. Even muggles had their own version of the stone which was sort of expensive as well, even when it wasn't infused with much magic.

Hermione stirred slightly and he felt a strange pull. He frowned. Her ring was glowing a bit. He frowned, taking her hand one more. The glow dimmed to a soft purple. He released her hand again and it lit once more. He smiled as she stirred once more before settling after a few moments.

He rose, heading downstairs to see where James had gotten off to. They had their first meeting tonight at six tonight and he had to speak to James before-hand. Hermione had been talking about teaching the group patronus charms and he wanted to find out if James knew how to perform that already. It was a complicated spell, but James was a very good wizard. There was a chance he knew it. Remus could form a weak cloud, but nothing further. He glanced at a clock on the way out of the room before closing the door behind him. It was around seven-thirty now.

James came running up the stairs from the common room as he made his way down, nearly mowing him over. He held up his hands to stop his friend. "What's happened to you?" he asked, staring at his friend. James looked so happy he could actually burst.

"Lily! She said if I behaved, she might marry me someday!" he cried joyfully.

"You proposed? You actually? You're seventeen!" Remus exclaimed.

"I was only joking, but..."

"And all you have to do is behave yourself. Sirius will be crushed," Remus chuckled.

"Where is Sirius? I have to tell him right now!" James said.

"Sirius and Hermione are both asleep and I doubt you want to wake them because Lily said she'd marry you in a demeaning and sarcastic manner I'm sure," Remus said. He glanced over James' shoulder at Peter, who nodded to confirm.

"Can't you all just be happy for me?" James asked, dramatically, looking from Peter to Remus and back before huffing and heading down the stairs, leaving them to follow.

Thank you for reading and please review. MOREMOREMORE Remus/Hermione next chapter.


	11. An Order Begun

New Chapter. Sorry about the wait. I hope you like it. I'm working on chapter 18, but it was feeling like some of my chapters were losing their quality because I wasn't giving them editing as thorough. So probably one or two chapters a week... I don't know. I want to make sure that my story comes out right... you know?

I hope you're all still there. I had a record low number of reviews which kind of made me want to hold off on this chapter, but Reader4life has hardly missed a chapter. Had to get this up. Please though... doesn't someone have anything to say about it?

"We shouldn't be here," Hermione said dryly to Sirius who sat across from her. He shrugged.

"It seems fine to me," he said, looking around.

Hermione nodded in thanks to Remus who sat beside her, butterbeers in hands. "On the house, says Rosemerta. She says everything is free for the students who fought during the attack against Hogsmeade."

"Meaning us, and that group of Hufflepuffs, led by Edgar Bones," James said.

"Actually, it was just Edgar, and two girls," Hermione told him.

"Really? They took down two death eaters according to Moody. Color me impressed," James said. "It was probably his sister, Amelia, and girlfriend Adeline." Sirius nodded in agreement.

"Well, Hermione took down at least six herself according to McGonagall," Lily pointed out.

"Honestly, don't people have better things to than to talk about me?" Hermione muttered. Remus opened his mouth to respond, but didn't get the chance.

"Moony, I swear if you say, 'I can't think of any better topic' in that sweet, goody-goody voice of yours I will beat the bloody hell out of you," Sirius barked out. Remus snorted before laughing. Hermione chuckled. That was something Remus would say, mostly to irritate Sirius, though.

"Actually I was going to ask if it were possible than no other students fought... I reckon there were quite a few Slytherins involved," Remus said, raising an eyebrow.

"Good point, can't imagine none of them drew a wand to terrorize some younger students in the chaos," Lily said darkly.

"I hate Slytherins," Sirius muttered.

"I hate Snape," Remus supplied. Hermione glanced at him in surprise.

"I think I do as well," Lily said softly. Hermione watched her closely for a few moments before pushing Remus' arm. He gave her a confused look but she jerked her head to get him to move. She slid out of the booth and took Lily by the arm, pulling her up.

"We shouldn't be here," Hermione muttered.

"You keep saying that," James said.

"I don't know what Dumbledore is thinking. He would never have risked student lives like this in the future. It's reckless and I don't like it," she said.

"Since when do you have a problem with reckless?" Remus asked mischievously. His tone was so quiet that only she and Sirius caught it. Sirius choked on his butterbeer.

"That is beyond the point, Remus Lupin. This is too dangerous and there are students here too young for another attack."

"Well if there is another attack then we'll fight it off just like last time," James said, confidently. "I'm sure old Ed's around here somewhere."

"Next time they won't send fifteen or twenty. Next time, they'll come full force. Dumbledore must realize that.

"Death eater numbers are only estimated to be around forty wands and ten were captured last month," James said.

"Fifty? I'd be surprised if there's any less than one-hundred and fifty. The dark lord was testing the ground in Hogsmeade and he found that we can hold our ground, yes, but very few death curses were cast. He won't be so gentle next time," Hermione muttered.

"He doesn't like to have a full attack without at least a 2 to 1 advantage if possible. He's a Slytherin and he doesn't like fighting fair," she said.

"It all seems fine Hermione. There are Aurors crawling around this place, not to mention most of the professors are in the village," Sirius told her.

"You don't understand," Hermione said with a sigh.

"Drink your butterbeer. You're being too paranoid about things that are out of your hand," Remus said. She looked at him, looking to the door for a moment, before nodding.

"Maybe your right. Perhaps I've not had enough fun in a few weeks," she said, giving him a bored look. "You should work on that, or I'll have to break it off and go for James."

Lily chuckled, glancing at James who smiled shaking his head. "You'd have to fight me for him."

"Oh, Lily I could definitely take you out of the race," she said. "I deal in cosmetic potions after all, just a few reverse formulas and James will be running from you and straight to me," Hermione said. Remus' hand clamped down on her wrist and she looked up at him, to see he was not very happy about the jesting. He obviously didn't think it was funny. She sighed, realizing that it perhaps wasn't funny for him. He didn't realize how deeply connected she was to him.

"Let's go, Lily. I have to stop by Candice's. Maybe this time I won't be ambushed and end up making everyone, including Remus, think that me and Sirius are an item," she said, giving Remus a sharp look. He continued giving her that same possessive look as he took a drink of his butterbeer, completely unaffected by the comment.

Hermione rolled her eyes, turning to leave but Remus stood and caught her hand turning her and kissing her, ignoring James' spewing of his butterbeer and Peter's shocked gasp. Hermione chuckled as he finally released her and turned, leaving with Lily close behind her.

It took a few moments for Hermione to realize why she'd wanted to be alone with Lily in the first place, but then she remembered why her friend's private company was required... why she had had to leave Remus behind. "Severus Snape... He is arrogant and irritating to be sure, but hate him?" Hermione questioned after walking a short ways down the aisle.

"I know you say he is a good man, but he's... I don't know what would have changed him," Lily said, shaking her head, sadly.

"Don't you?" Hermione asked, softly, staring at her meaningly. Lily frowned in confusion. "Maybe if the one person who'd ever believed in him abandoned him, he took the dark mark, but she was then targeted by the dark lord due to some information he'd provided to the dark lord, not knowing she would be in danger from it. That might do it."

Lily gasped, her hand shooting up to cover her mouth in horror. Hermione smiled slightly. "He... he was the reason Voldemort knew about the prophesy, the death eater you said overheard?"

"He begged the dark lord to spare your life, and the dark lord agreed, which was the only way you were able to invoke that ancient magic, that and by way of your own life's sacrifice," Hermione explained.

"I was saved... you said that when you told us. You said I was protected. You meant Severus had protected me?" she questioned.

"And after your death, he protected your son, saving his life on several occasions and losing his life to help our side, to save your son's last best friend," Hermione said, tears in her eyes.

"Do you see now? Do you see how when I say Severus is a good man, I'm telling the truth. The way it all unfolds is more complicated than I think any of you realize. He remained a spy for the thirteen years that Voldemort wasn't at large. He remained a spy through the years that the dark lord had taken power, up until the moment Harry died. Then he stood with us, wholly and completely. He was a great man, didn't jump ship when ours had already been sunk to the bottom of the ocean. He could have saved himself, continued on but he didn't."

Lily felt moved as well. Her eyes welled with tears and her stomach turned over. All for her? Sev did all that because of her. Her heart felt like it was breaking. He really had been sorry for what he'd said and she'd known that. She just couldn't deal with him anymore, but he... his whole life he'd lived to keep her son alive, to protect him and then to protect his friends.

They turned into Candice's shop, Hermione brushing away the stray tears before entering. She pulled a few vials from her pocket along with a list of ingredients. She walked to the back of the shop where the owner usually lurked and was rewarded with the sight of the very gorgeous Mrs. Candice Roland, who looked much younger than her forty-five years. Hermione wondered idly how many of her own products she used.

"Oh, my dear wonderful Hermione!" Candice gushed. "I hear you've been giving the shop down the way a hard time. I told you I'd have you buying nothing from there dear! You're covered!"

"I really appreciate it Candice, but I do work on potions beyond cosmetics and I don't feel right in your paying for my supplies when most of them go to different ends," Hermione explained.

"I'll have none of it. If that is the case than I am funding important secret research, am I right?" Candice said, very seriously. Hermione suddenly realized... Candice Roland, was friends with James' mum. Maybe she was more invested in this war than Hermione believed. Phoenix members were everywhere. No one member of the order, aside from Dumbledore himself knew everyone who was in the order. The secrets were too deep, and Dumbledore's roots spread wide throughout the wizarding community. Hermione stopped arguing suddenly and Candice went back to her usual self.

"Have you really brought me another fabulous product? I don't know how you do it. You sent me one just last week! You have my potions lab working overtime just to recreate all of these masterpieces."

"I'm glad you find them up to your standards," Hermione said.

"You don't enjoy creating them? You're helping girls feel better about themselves every day!" Candice exclaimed. Hermione didn't want to comment on the type of girls that used her potions.

"This potion is actually an ideal weight monitor. It is not a weight loss supplement," she added quickly at the excited look she received from the woman, who frowned, but was more intrigued than disappointed.

"It is designed to create a will to exercise when the muscle-to-fat ratio is low or quench appetite when someone is overeating. It also stimulates debilitating hunger if someone is undereating. It was the only way I could morally create such a potion. I don't want my products used for girls to become anorexic. They need to eat right and the potion creates cravings for the right foods to eat to reach proper nutritional values," Hermione said, her explanation greeted by stunned silence. Lily and Candice were staring at her.

"Hermione... that's-" Lily started.

"Genius," Candice finished.

"You're talking complete hormonal control over a person's body. Controlling their will to exercise, their cravings to create a perfectly balanced diet. How did you even think of something like that, let alone actually pull it off?" Lily asked, breathlessly.

"You're honestly asking me that?" Hermione asked, giving Lily an incredulous look.

"That's why you've gotten healthier," Lily said in shock. She'd hardly noticed Hermione's renewed appetite and energy. She'd even been sleeping better, though she still had her hard nights where she'd sneak off into the school or over to the boy's dorm.

"It works all right, took me since the day I got to Hogwarts to create and perfect it. This one I've been working on longer than any of the others... for the shop at least. I have one larger project going on right now," Hermione said. She wouldn't go as far as to call it her masterpiece, no the potion she was most proud of would be taken by Sirius Black every morning and every evening at six-thirty until two weeks from that morning. Oh he was going to be furious when she woke him up at six-thirty the next morning.

"I will work this out with my accountant, but... Miss Granger I think this potion will have you very rich very quickly with your profits from each individual sale as well as allowing me to carry it. This is something I am almost not comfortable taking from you," Candice said, her perfect brow furrowing, holding the potion back towards her slowly.

"No, you are the reason I am independent and I want you to be the only person with right to this potion. I will take my usual flat pay for the new potion and the ten percent from the sale of each bottle," Hermione said, shaking her head and pushing the potion towards Candice in response.

"My dear, I would be robbing you! Fifty Percent!" Candice said.

"Fifteen," Hermione argued.

"Thirty-five!" Candice pushed

"Twenty, and you keep Witch's Weekly off my back for a while about this. I don't particularly like giving interviews and last time ended up... well I'd rather they just kept their distance so I can concentrate on my school and my work," she said, not saying that her work didn't mean her potions for this shop. She meant the new "Order of the Ash" and her meetings with Dumbledore. They were draining enough without reporters bothering Dumbledore to speak to her.

"I will keep them from interviewing you, but this potion's too much to keep them from covering it and probably you," Candice told her, very seriously.

"Right, as long as no one thinks I'm marrying Sirius Black, I think I'm safe," Hermione smiled.

"Remus might get a bit irritated if that went around again, wouldn't he?" Lily chuckled.

Hermione nodded. "Furious would be more accurate," she muttered with a giggle. They said their goodbyes, retreating into the Hogsmeade streets.

Candice smiled, glad that the smart young witch had found friends and even a boyfriend it seemed. The young lady had been fighting a group of death eaters just outside her shop with two dark-haired boys and she had been extremely talented. If she weren't under cover, she would have thoroughly enjoyed stepping out of her shop to help her, gravel and bricks flying all around, dust clouds fluttering about.

Candice knew that girl wouldn't spend long in Cosmetic Potions. No, she was destined for a much bigger, a much more important future. There was no doubt about that. Candice looked at the bottle then at the long list of instructions on the small piece of parchment in her hand. That would have be be engorged to even read. She walked behind her counter, placing it in a magical safe and even adding a few wards just in case. She was quite thorough.

Lily and Hermionefound the group still sitting at the same table in the Leaky Cauldron and took Remus off to the book store where they'd promptly broke off to look in their own sections of interest, Lily to Charms and Remus to Defense. Hermione was glad she shop hadn't changed much in twenty years. It was really comforting to be somewhere that she was used to, where she felt safe.

Hermione scanned the transfiguration section in the book shop, still looking for a book after ten minutes, smiling when she felt arms wrap around her from behind. She was pulled back into a warm embrace and chuckled. "I'm trying to look for books," she said, softly, feeling Remus' slightly scratchy chin rub against her cheek

"Me too," he said, sweetly. "You were just in the way," he told her, reaching out one of his hands, to run over a few spines. "Nope, there are no good ones here. I believe you already own the most spectacular book this shop has ever owned."

"Remus, I've read it three times already and I'm sure I'll read it again but I'm looking for a different type of transfiguration," she said, giggling as he humphed slouching to rest his chin on her shoulder, taking a deep breath.

She shook her head, going back to what she'd been doing, but she knew it was futile. Remus growled at being ignored, turning her and kissing her possessively. It was different kissing the young Remus, but somehow the same. He backed her against the stack slowly and she felt a book digging into the small of her back, but didn't care, because this was Remus and he was holding her and kissing her. She ran her hands through his hair, moaning as he pressed his body flush against her. She felt his tongue run across her lip and opened her mouth to him, melting into his arms.

"Oh sorry, sorry!" a voice cried at the end of the shelves. Remus pulled back sharply, both he and Hermione breathing deeply. Hermione took a few moments to catch her breath, before bursting out laughing.

"That- was Lily," she told him.

"I know, I can sm-" Remus stopped.

"Smell her hair," Hermione finished the sentence he was too uncomfortable to vocalize. She closed the distance between them, placing a sweet, chaste kiss on his lips before stepping back and heading the direction the embarrassed Lily had gone, leaving Remus to lean against the bookshelves, tilting his head back to rest against a shelf, eyes raising to the ceiling. He took a few moments to himself then followed after them.

It wasn't hard to find them on the opposite end of the bookstore. Lily blushing bright red, and blushing further when she saw him and averting her eyes immediately. Hermione smirked when she saw him and attempted to smooth his hair down. He imagined it was a bit out of place after Hermione's treatment of it. "You know Lily, if I didn't know you were a muggleborn, I'd say you were a Weasley and not because of the red hair, but the fact that your face can turn a completely solid shade of red when you're embarrassed," Hermione told her with a small smile. She took Lily's book from her. "I'm buying."

"Wait, you don't have to!" Lily tried to stop her as she headed to the counter.

"Didn't you hear what Candice said. I'm about to be filthy rich," Hermione said with a smile.

"Rich?" Remus questioned with a frown.

"Her newest potion is brilliant, like people around the world will buy it brilliant, like changing people's lives brilliant, like front page of Witch Weekly brilliant," Lily said.

"Lils I think he gets that brilliant part," Hermione told her friend, amused.

"What was it?" Remus asked

"You can read about it in Witch's Weekly like all the rest of my fans," Hermione said, before Lily could reply.

"Oh so I'm like all the rest of your fans now," Remus said.

"Quite right. I can't go treating you special now, you know. It would be unfair to those fifth year Hufflepuffs who trail me in the halls between classes," Hermione said. A huge smile grew on Lily's face as she watched their exchange with interest. Hermione paid for the book after a nod of familiarity to the clerk, she'd met a few weeks ago when she'd snuck to Hogsmeade for an Advanced Potions text that was restricted at the Hogwarts library.

"Those girls with the high-pitched squeals? Are those the ones you're referring to? And here I thought they were following me around," he said, feigning surprise.

"You shouldn't be so self-centered Remus. Not everything in the world is about you," she said, taking the book from the clerk and accepting her change. She put the change in a pouch and handed Lily the book who thanked her, repeatedly.

"Where'd the others get off to?" Lily pondered as they stepped into the freezing weather. It was snowing outside and getting late. They'd arrived in Hogsmeade around one in the afternoon and it was almost five now. They had to head back or be late to the meeting that they'd organized themselves.

Hermione claimed Remus' arm, staying close to him to avoid the chill. "Where would Sirius and James drag Peter off to?" Remus asked, pretending to think on that. "Let's see, they both love that one wizarding sport... what's that called again?"

"Quidditch!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly as if she'd just had a huge breakthrough.

"That's the one!" Remus smiled.

"Where would people who like quidditch go though?" Hermione pondered, dramatically.

"Perhaps we should check the broom shop," Remus suggested. Lily rolled her eyes at them with a huff, starting off ahead of them towards the shop.

"Reckon she's peeved at us? She doesn't like sarcasm much," Remus said, loud enough for Lily to hear. She sent back a glare at the two of them. Hermione smiled.

"Her hair really does smell nice," Hermione commented.

"I once caught James smelling it," Remus told her so Lily wouldn't hear.

"Really?" she asked, looking up at him. He nodded. She smiled. "Man he really has it bad."

"That was actually back in fourth year, when she hated him," Remus said. Hermione chuckled.

"He would do that," she said, rolling her eyes.

They did indeed find them in the quidditch shop and all headed back to Hogwarts together. They made it to the third floor corridor, second room before anyone else. Hermione had gathered her items. She had a sign-up sheet, a small box full of fake galleons that had all been treated with the protean charm by either Lily or Hermione. Then, they waited...

Sirius and James sat on the edge of their seats, nervous and anxious. Hermione and Peter had arranged about fifteen chairs in a circle before their small group, ignoring Lily's objections that it wouldn't be enough. Hermione had made up a list and sat at a desk, waiting for students to come in. Just as James began getting really agitated, the first of the students started arriving, Edgar Bones at the lead, though that wasn't surprising. Hermione knew that he would become a great asset to the Order in the next couple of years, though he would also be dead at the end of them, along with his toddler, newborn, and wife.

Hermione rose when he entered, holding out her hand to him. He walked forward as about ten fifth, sixth, and seventh year Hufflepuffs entered. He took her hand. "Hermione Granger," she introduced herself. They had a few classes together but they'd never formally met.

"Edgar Bones. It's good to finally meet you. Friends call me Ed," Edgar said with a smile, nodding to her as he stepped back.

"Meeting in a battle for Hogsmeade's good enough I think to say we know each other. You fought well."

"You saved our lives and I won't forget it," he said.

"I've heard a lot of you," she told him.

"Probably all lies. Can't trust a word that comes out of Sirius Black's mouth," Edgar said with a smirk as he glanced at Sirius who rolled his eyes, smiling broadly.

"Good thing I have more reliable sources," Hermione said.

"James," Edgar nodded to him, before going to sit with the Hufflepuffs he'd brought.

"Told you there'd be more than you thought," James said, raising his eyebrows as they watched students trickle in. The room was quickly filled. Hermione glanced at Lily, who performed a quick charm. The students looked around in surprise as the room doubled in size. Lily really was an amazing Charms student.

Hermione looked at James who multiplied the number of chairs to accommodate the large group. Sirius smirked with pride at his friend's ability. Hermione walked around the table they had placed in front of their group, carrying the clipboard with her. Remus stood, wand in hand, eyes scanning the group, suspiciously like all the rest of them. There could easily be traitors in this group.

"Peter, Remus, Lily, Sirius," Hermione said, glancing back at them. They all left the table obediently, heading for chairs. Two were vacated for Remus and Lily near the front. All who were there, knew their place. Edgar, his sister, and his girlfriend were in the first row. Sirius and Peter went to the back to keep a lookout. A few others in the front were sixth years Jacob and Dominic from Ravenclaw, known to be good duelers and huge supporters of Dumbledore and the Ministry's work against the dark lord. "Everyone else please find a seat," Hermione instructed.

"We're not meeting here today to insult the abilities of Professor Birch. You all know he is a very good professor, but there is more out there than magical creatures to repel and a few petty duels to fight. If you want to stand a chance, you need to know how to fight for real. If you are here, I'm sure you understand the implication of the name of our new club," she said. She raised her wand. "The Order of the Ash. A Phoenix's end and its beginning..." she said.

"So you're saying the Order of the Phoenix exists? You know this?" a voice asked from the back, a seventh year Ravenclaw, if she was correct.

"I don't know of any such groups existence. James and Sirius were just playing off of the idea," Hermione said, with a laugh. "Perhaps they believe in such foolish rumors, but the Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the organization really working to figure out what were first deemed disappearances, that I believe we all know are more than just that," Hermione said, more seriously.

"James?" Edgar's sister asked, watching him closely.

"I've heard the rumors, just like everyone else, but my dad says it's probably just a load of rubbish, made up to make people feel safer, to feel like Dumbledore's leading this fight. Dumbledore's here to protect us. He can't protect the entire wizarding world," James said, seriously.

Hermione looked over the group, but they all seemed to accept their responses to the question posed. The order was a secret organization. A word was not to be breathed on the subject by anyone directly or indirectly involved in the order. Dumbledore made this so to protect those involved, to keep the ministry covered as well as protect any double agents he had working with or within the death eater ranks.

She was a bit nervous about all of this. The group was much larger due to the public statement by her friends. She knew they'd only been trying to help, but Hermione didn't know who here she could trust. Honestly, she would have liked it to be spread to those she knew where loyal to the cause. This made her job harder. She had to protect the stability of the group while worrying about traitors among them. She couldn't help her suspicion of the three Slytherins in the back. She stepped back nodding to James.

"Everyone says you're an all right duelist and all, but I haven't seen any of it," a fifth year Hufflepuff said from the back, eying Hermione skeptically.

"I'm not going to perform like a monkey on a stage to satisfy your belief that I don't have sufficient ability to teach you," Hermione said. "You know James' skill cannot be denied, nor can Edgar Bones', Sirius Black's, or Remus Lupin's." She nodded to each young man. "This group isn't about one person teaching a group. We aren't professors. This is about a group learning from each other. James will be your leader. You know him and I'm only here to help, Edgar too if we can persuade him. Does anyone object to that?" The Slytherins in the back looked sour, but none opened their mouths to counter it. She slipped back behind the table.

"Today we're just going to sign up. I want you all to realize that when you sign this paper, you will not be able to breath a word about what goes on in this group, with the exception of Professor McGongall or Headmaster Dumbledore."

"Why your head of house?" a Slytherin demanded.

"We will be doing plenty of transfiguration and she can be a useful tool."

"Right, then why not the Defense professor?"

"Because he is a new professor and I decided against it," James said powerfully as he rose to his feet. "If you even attempt to speak with someone outside those listed about this you will lose your ability to form speech for three days. If you try to write it, your hand will cramp violently and you will not be able to write out words, if you try to sign it in bloody sign language, you will be rendered unconcious. I could go further, but I'd rather let you use your imaginations. All of us added our own particular punishment," James growled, referring to Hermione, Lily, and the marauders.

Hermione let James handle all the particulars, sitting behind the desk, glancing at Remus, who was beaming at her. She couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head at him. She didn't know why he was smiling, but it was humorous to see him like this, so vibrant, so full of life. Her heart skipped a beat every time she saw that smile. His youth made her feel young and carefree again. After the past month and a half, for it had only really been that long surprising as it was.

She stared at each person as they signed, handing each a fake galleon which James had already explained noting a few that slipped out the door when they had lined up to volunteer. Hermione was a bit surprised to see that the three Slytherins waited their turn to sign the paper rather bravely in her opinion. Remus smiled at her as he signed his name, followed by Sirius then Peter. Hermione was surprised that the quill didn't reject anyone. Lily had performed a charm on it that would allow only those set in their beliefs to sign. It was impressive, but she imagined one really had to choose their sides in this war and those who hadn't had already walked out of this room. The problem was, if someone wasn't set in their beliefs on their side, they'd be in for a world of trouble.

Sirius hovered as the three Slytherins signed, shaking one of their hands when they were done. "There was a lot of bad blood between them before," James supplied when Hermione gave him an odd look. She nodded in understanding.

Hermione stood as they all trickled out, the last person having signed. She had to enact the more serious charms on this parchment with Lily's help, a few extra precautions. She rolled the parchment up and took Lily's arm. They headed out and up to Gryffindor Tower where they spent the evening working on the parchment in their dorm room, Janice hovering interestedly not that she knew what they were actually doing with it. She'd been in the meeting and was fascinated to see what was happening, even if she was lost on the specifics.

Sunday went uneventfully, but on Monday when Hermione, Lily, and Remus sat down to breakfast a bit later than usual, Hermione frowned at all they eyes on her and the whispers. She sent James a confused look and he smiled. Janice elbowed Remus, passing him a magazine. He stared down at the front page.

Hermione looked over his shoulder at the magazine and chuckled at his expression. There was a large photo of her across the front of Witch Weekly under the title, "The Mysterious Hermione Granger again Stuns the Potions Community." James, who had a copy in hand, sent from his mother no doubt, began to read it aloud. "The future of a currently male-dominated potions society is revealed to be one Miss Hermione Jean Granger. After a few dazzling new cosmetics potions, she has created a masterpiece that goes beyond simple imagination and crossed into the realm of brilliance."

"Masterpiece... what a load of rubbish," Hermione snorted, glancing at Sirius. He was the one testing her true masterpiece. She'd created the other one to gain her weight back and allow her to eat without making herself sick.

"Severus is going to be furious," Hermione muttered, scanning the Slytherin table across the hall to find that he wasn't there.

"Who cares," Sirius grunted.

"Hear hear," James muttered.

"This is what you and Lily were talking about in Hogsmeade, when you said you're going to be rich?" Remus asked.

"According to Candice," Hermione nodded.

"The paper mentioned that as well," James said, looking it over.

"Good thing you have a fall back if your first career choice doesn't work out," Sirius said.

"Career? I don't think I'll have to think about one of those seriously for a while at least. Also, I don't think I'll ever fall back on potions, especially the kind of potions I make for Candice's," Hermione said, darkly.

"Well, that other potion... you could do great things," James told her.

"I think I'll-"

"Look Hermione, Remus is in here," Lily said. "_After a flighty relationship with the Hogwarts number one heartbreaker Sirius Black, the brilliant Miss Granger finds herself in the arms of a handsome young man, Hogwarts Top Student and Seventh Year Gryffindor Prefect, Remus J. Lupin. No telling where such an intelligent match might lead_," the red-head read aloud.

"Ah, Remus, they think your handsome," Sirius said, mockingly, quite comfortable with his own title. Hermione smiled broadly and looked at Remus, who turned bright red.

"Miss Granger, congratulations!" Professor Slughorn said loudly from behind her, causing her to jump in surprise. She turned, nodding to him in thanks. "You'll be sure to make this school incredibly proud," he said, handing her a copy of The Practical Potioneer, which was also a weekly paper. He walked off, looking pleased.

Hermione stared down at it. There was a small article on the bottom of it which was continued on the page three. She stared at it stunned. "This is a real periodical, not like that stupid..." Hermione murmured, running her finger over the place where the article began, headed, "_Future Mistress in the Making_." Slughorn was labeled as her master, but that was simply because she had no other connections to a certified Potions Master and were supposed to be at least an apprentice to be published.

Remus wrapped an arm over her shoulders, kissing her forehead with a low rumbling chuckle at the awe in her expression. Hermione looked up, finally catching sight of Severus who had just entered, a copy of the same periodical in his hand. She watched him as he went to his seat, his eyes on her the entire way, which unnerved her. Remus' arm fell away as he went back to his breakfast. She ate a bit as well, becoming slightly uncomfortable to know that his eyes were still boring into her.

"Maybe I should try it. I am getting heavy," Sirius said, with a laugh.

"It won't let you lose an ounce, just make you eat more healthy foods probably," she told him, eying the greasy food he was shoveling down his throat.

"Bah, no thanks," he said through a mouthful of food.

"That's disgusting, Sirius," Remus said with a grin.

"You're disgusting," Sirius shot back.

"No you're... oh I see what you're doing and I will not be drawn in," Remus said, sending him a glare.

"Bravo, Remus," Lily said.

"You know you love me, Lily," Sirius said, in a sing-song voice.

"Yes, Sirius, you caught me. I'm madly in love with you and James is only standing in the way or in this case sitting," Lily said, as James sat directly between them. Sirius pushed James back hard and he fell out of his seat.

"Now what's in the way?" Sirius asked.

"Your own idiocy," Hermione supplied as Lily helped an angry James up. James punched his best friend hard on the arm, causing Sirius to wince and cover it with his hand. James rubbed the back of his head, which got banged a bit on the floor.

"Ow, mate, it was a joke!" Sirius cried in defense.

"Time for potions," she said, standing. James stood as well.

"We have plenty of time," Remus said.

"Yes, but I think splitting up James and Sirius would be in everyone's best interest at the present time," Hermione said.

"Thanks 'Mione, I'll find a way to give you and Remus some free time later," Sirius said, sliding over and draping his arm over Lily's shoulders with a wink at Hermione.

"Drop dead Black," Lily said, sweetly, picking up a fork and poking his hand with it.

"I think Lily can take care of herself in any case," Hermione said, with a chuckle. Peter nodded in agreement.

Remus yawned then downed his pumpkin juice before standing and picking up his book bag. He settled his arm loosely around Hermione's waist as they headed down to the dungeons.

"Congratulations on finding a way to take care of your poor health," Snape growled at her as he sat down beside her in the dungeons.

"What are you on about, Severus? I was having such a good morning," she told him, matter-of-factly.

"You've been gradually improving your eating habits over the course of the past month and now you've sold this potion," he said. "You've been testing it on yourself. That's dangerous," he told her.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Severus. I've been in perfect health," she said, raising an eyebrow. She shrugged. "You shouldn't think so much. It only makes you bitter," she told him.

"I'm not as stupid as your little pet, Granger," Snape hissed. "He may not have noticed, but I have."

"Notice a lot of things about me don't you?" she asked, darkly.

"I'm not as blind as your 'friends'. I see the realities of this world. I know that you aren't a muggleborn," he said. She looked up in surprise, before a smile dawned on her features.

"I'm not a muggleborn am I?" she asked, humor in her tone. "I assure you my parents were indeed muggles: movies, television, the works," she said with a laugh.

"Why are there no records of them? Why aren't there any records of you?" he demanded. Her eyes darkened. He'd been looking too close. He was getting too interested, too involved.

"My parents are dead," she said. "Murdered if you'd like to know, by people that started out just like you, got interested in a little muggleborn and dug for more information. They tracked them to Australia, even after I'd taken all their memories of me away from them. You may be okay with where you're headed Severus, but I know that it's not you. I don't know how you plan on killing people like me, people like Lily. But perhaps I'm wrong about you, maybe you'll even enjoy it," she added, heavily. His eyes narrowed and he looked away.

She shook her head in irritation, glancing back at Remus whose eyes she felt on her. She rolled her eyes to him, shaking her head. Slughorn entered and Hermione's eyes followed him to the front of the room. He smiled at Hermione in particular and she didn't like where that was headed.

"Class, today I'd like you all to note that our own Miss Hermione Granger has been published by The Practical Potioneer, for her invention of a new and interesting health control potion as it is classified, recently named the Perfect Portion Potion," he said, clapping his hands. Hermione groaned as the class started clapping, all except Snape. She shot an irritated look to James who clapped louder than all the rest. He shrunk under her glare, hands stopping mid-clap.

Class continued in a most unacceptable way in Hermione's opinion as Slughorn assigned them a project for everyone to create a potion. It didn't have to do anything truly significant, but it had to be something that had never been made before. Hermione of course was made exempt for her already-famous brew. What he probably didn't realize was Remus would require her help creating his, giving her just the same amount of work. James didn't exactly need her help in potions. He was quite good despite appearances.

Class was let out early for them to think on what kind of potion they might wish to create. A few Ravenclaws had the nerve to send Hermione a dirty look, but one glance from her could silence even the stupidest of seventh years. They knew not to say a word against her, at least to her face.

James headed up to the great hall for an early lunch while Hermione and Remus made their way to the tower. Hermione felt Remus' eyes on her, but when she glanced up he looked away. She looked forward again only to feel him looking down at her again.

"Remus, you're being strange," she said, jokingly.

"I was old and you still loved me," he said. "Was I that much better than I am now?"

"Better?" she asked, not understanding. "Wait, are you comparing yourself... to- yourself?" she asked, a small smile gracing her lips. She glanced up at him to see that he was completely serious.

"Remus, you..." Hermione trailed off, sighing and taking his hand. "First of all, you weren't old. You were twenty years older than I was, which in wizarding years, when we live up to a century-and-a-half, that's not much."

"I was your third year Defense Professor," he said, raising an eyebrow.

"Okay so I didn't always think of you like that, but Remus you were the bravest, kindest man, I'd ever met. You took over the order without even a whisper of complaint even though everyone knew you were against the idea. You were the only one who stayed together when nearly everything was lost, our rock, our last shred of hope when there was nothing else. You were even betrayed by the woman you loved and you still-"

"Betrayed? You-"

"No, no, not me... no," she said quickly. "Around Christmas after Dumbledore was killed I think it was, your girlfriend, Nymphadora Tonks... She was found out as a traitor. I didn't find out for at least four months after that, around the time Harry died. You had pulled yourself together by then and you spent your time taking care of the rest of us."

"I loved someone else...?" he murmured in confusion. "How could I have, when you were..."

"I was sixteen, Remus, and you weren't exactly my number one then either. You were just a mentor, a friend," she said. "I thought I was in love with Ronald of all people."

"Who was she...? What was she like?" he asked.

"Tonks? She was beautiful, full of life. She was very clumsy tripping over things all the time, but always entertaining. She was a metamophmagus and had been an auror for the ministry. Ron and I almost didn't believe you when you told us she'd turned against us," Hermione said, saying the full and utter truth. She wasn't about to tell him that she was a double-crossing hag, because Hermione had generally liked Tonks. The betrayal though... that was unforgivable. Remus' grief at her loss was easier to get over knowing that she'd left his side willingly... to save herself.

"Tonks. I know a Ted Tonks, Andromeda's husband, Sirius' cousin in law," he said, frowning. His eyes widened. "Sirius told me they had a daughter. She's about four or five now."

"Should I be worried?" she asked, with a teasing smile.

"I think not," Remus said, becoming pale. "I still don't understand how you..." he was cut off by Hermione turning, stepping in front of him and pressing her lips to his. His voice was lost in his throat as her lips met his. He placed his hands on her hips, hers resting on the back of his neck gently.

"Can't that be answer enough?" she asked.

"I don't know. Give me a while to regain my thought processes," he said, softly. She chuckled, turning to start down the hall again, but he pulled her back towards him, kissing her gently before simply pulling her into a tight embrace. She wrapped her arms around him as well, closing her eyes.

"Remus, I care about you, because you are you, not because you are him. Do you understand?" she whispered. She pulled back when he didn't respond. She pressed her forehead to his, staring into his soft amber eyes. "Do you understand?" she repeated softly. He nodded. She kissed him once more before taking his hand and intertwining their fingers. She pulled him up the last staircase that led to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Hermione sunk into the comfortable cushions of her favorite couch in the common room, her thoughts on Sirius' family, her own mind had never been able to work out Tonks' betrayal, never been able to figure out how she'd done what she did, or why. Memories swirled around her, some not her own. Ron had told her of what happened with Peter and the memory had stayed with her. She had been thinking on Peter since her impromptu rescue of him a few days before.

She smiled weakly as Remus came back down from his dorm room where he'd gone to change books and collect homework. He sat beside her and she leaned against him, closing her eyes. She was tired and they had a couple hours until their next class. "Do you think we'll win this?" Remus asked. "This war I mean."

Hermione was silent, staring into the fire that warmed the entire room. She considered the question, wondering if she did truly believe that they had a chance at winning this war for real this time. She was only one person and couldn't believe that she could make such a drastic change, but Dumbledore... he could. He could make everything right. He might have made mistakes the first time around, but now that he knew the consequences, he could make the world a better place, because he was a great man, a truly great wizard.

"I think that we will do better this time around. We have what we need. We just need to use it," Hermione said, softly. "We have to keep this world and those in it out of the hands of people like Tom Riddle who empower death eaters like Bellatrix Lestrange and Lucius Malfoy."

"You really hate those two especially," he murmured.

"Sirius' cousin's Cruciatus packs a lot of hate and power behind it," she said, softly, not feeling the need to explain her hatred of Lucius Malfoy. He was aware that Malfoy was the one to kill him even if he didn't know the half of it.

"You were tortured?" he whispered into her hair.

"One does not stay in Azkaban for nearly four months without facing torture," she said, softly. "I only want to work to keep it from happening to someone else."

"Three years after Harry died. That's how long the order survived if you can call what we did surviving. How we stayed together that long, I'll never know," she muttered.

"It won't happen again," Remus said. "I'll protect you better this time," he told her. She smiled at the sincerity in his voice.

"I'll protect you better this time," she replied with a smile. "Let's go. We're going to have to go get some food," she said, standing smoothly. She waved her wand, summoning her Charms book and sending her potions text flying up the stairs to her room.

Hermione didn't know if it was her new wand or just herself, but her ability to perform spells was extremely enhanced. She hadn't been taught many new spells since she'd arrived and those she did learn were from her own studies, like with the transfiguration book Remus had gotten her. She was Hermione Granger and some of the spells they were teaching, she'd learned back in second year on her own. She rarely needed the incantation either. The only spell she knew she couldn't perform without it was the death curse, which she'd had to perform to divert that curse from Sirius. While she had been horrible with defense in her first few years at Hogwarts, she found practical spells were almost effortless to perform with this new wand. She knew Harry's wand had been Holly, and good for warding off evil so it only made sense.

Sirius kept telling her the potion had him wired in the morning and when he took it at night, he could hardly get to sleep. He wasn't complaining, because the lack of sleep wasn't really affecting him. It simply made it so he could spend more hours wandering around the castle, causing little problems, like a few days before when he'd used a permanent sticking charm to put all the desks in McGonagall's classroom on the ceiling. Oh, she'd been furious. They'd seen her in the entrance hall, telling Dumbledore what had happened, while he seemed to be fighting a smile. His eyes had twinkled and settled on Sirius, knowingly.

She found a seat in charms, between Remus and her housemate Janice. Susan, thankfully was a few desks away. She didn't think she could take that girl's incessant chattering today. She relaxed, listening in vaguely to the lecture as she spun the ring lazily on her right hand. "Wow, Hermione, that's beautiful," Janice whispered. Hermione glanced at her, then down at her hand as she spun the gem back to face outwards once more.

Hermione smiled, "Mystic Topaz... one of the most powerful magical gems," Hermione explained softly. Janice looked at it closer.

"I'd kill for one of these," Janice said. Hermione felt her magical aura swirling around her as she stepped out of her normally very shy exterior. She was a very sweet girl and had potential to be a very good herbologist someday. Her magic swelled whenever she was surrounded by magical plants.

Hermione chuckled. "Careful. In these times someone might take you seriously," she said. Janice smiled, sheepishly, glancing at Remus, then giving Hermione a questioning look. Hermione shook her head. "I've had this ring for a long time," she told her, softly.

"Well... you and Remus are perfect for each other," Janice whispered. Hermione grinned, knowing that Remus could hear the girl's every word. "He's always been so shy. He's only had a few girlfriends, but you just transferred and you already seem so close."

"Well, I'm glad you approve," Hermione said.

"Most definitely!" Janice grinned back. "Oh and I'll be at the next meeting too," she added. Hermione nodded in approval.

She glanced at Remus, who was smirking as he took down notes. She shook her head, fighting the urge to laugh as she looked back to the front of the class. They were working on creating wards, which Hermione had plenty of practical experience in so she performed hers on the first time and sat watching Remus as he became very frustrated trying to ward the small box in front of him. She laughed when he became very mad, earning her an irritated look, but that didn't bother her.

Seeing him not able to get something was a new experience and he seemed to be trying so hard. She finally took his hand, showing him how he was performing the wrong wand movements. He was performing the movements for the first ward they'd learned last week, but this ward required more embellishment, more flourish.

He growled deep in his throat when it worked with his words and his hand being moved my hers. "Well done Mr. Lupin!" the professor called from the front of the class, not having seen Hermione's assistance as she'd let go the moment the spell was performed.

"Well done indeed," Hermione said with a smile. "Try it again. It will work, I'm sure," she whispered. He sighed heavily, trying to perform it. This time the spell shot from his wand without hesitation. "Who's the best teacher you've ever had?" she asked. He chuckled, shaking his head at her. She tapped her cheek and he bent over, kissing it lightly. There was a burst of giggle from a few rows over... Susan no doubt, but Hermione didn't pay them any mind.

Hermione and Lily waved the boys off as they went to do whatever it was they did most afternoons, probably quidditch. Susan went off somewhere with her Ravenclaw friends, while Janice caught up with them. "Library?" she asked.

"Good guess," Lily smiled.

"Good, I'm going to need a whole lot of help on this essay. Who knows the theory behind locking spells. I thought you just said the incantation and learned to wave your wand right and that was it!" Janice said. Hermione laughed at that, chancing a glance at a horrified Lily.

"No, no, no! You can't have performed a proper warding charm with that mindset!" Lily exclaimed. "The incantation is significant as it allows you to communicate with your wand how the spell should work. You should understand that before performing any spells! The wand motion is unbelievably important because..." Lily continued like that the whole way to the library while Janice stared at her in shock. Hermione was sure she saw the poor girl's hand go for a pen and paper, before she realized it would be hard to take notes while walking.

"Lily, I think you've now put Janice on charms overload and should back off for all of three minutes," Hermione suggested, as they took their seats. Lily looked to Janice then back at Hermione before drawing a deep breath and sitting down.

"Sorry," she said. Hermione nodded, and Janice followed in suit.

"You're that potions student, Granger right?" Pince's voice jolted them. Hermione looked over her shoulder, in shock. Pince never sought people out or learned names. She was quite sure in the six years she'd lived in the library the woman still hadn't known her name.

"Yes, I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione said. Pince shoved an envelope in her hand before stalking off haughtily. Hermione frowned in surprise, looking up at Lily who seemed confused as well.

"Open it!" Janice said, excitedly. Hermione conceded. She didn't have much else to do. She slipped out and unfolded a letter. It was meticulously written, especially for one Horace Slughorn. She read through it.

"I have unrestricted access to the restricted section," Hermione said. 'As if a restricted sign would have stopped me anyhow,' she thought to herself.

"Wow, from Slughorn I assume," Lily said. "Could I see?"

"Of course," Hermione said, handing it to her. "My goodness, people are going over the top about this potion. They haven't even used it yet."

"Witch Weekly actually went off in their first article about it comparing the picture of you a few weeks ago with a picture they snapped recently. Didn't you even read it?" Lily asked.

"Nothing past the first few sentences," Hermione said, as she took out the book Remus had given her, leaning back in her chair and drawing her wand. She waved it idly at a chair nearby, turning it into a cat that jumped up on Lily's lap. Lily's face brightened and she petted the small animal. Janice watched in amazement.

"You have to teach me that!" Janice said. Lily set the cat back down, and Hermione turned it back into a chair just as Janice reached out for it. She turned it into a large dog who barked loudly, licking Janice's hand. Lily quickly undid the spell when Pince's sharp eyes snapped to them.

"I don't know why you insist on trying to get yourself into trouble at every turn. It's a wonder you and Sirius don't get along better," Lily said.

"I thought you and Sirius were... when you first came..." Janice said nervously.

"Rumor... a horrible, horrible rumor," Hermione said, smirking. "We were... are very close though. Sirius is probably one of the best people I know." She turned to Lily. "Anyhow, why not get in trouble? If I want to do something I'm going to do it. Life's too short, Lily. I don't plan on wasting it," Hermione told her. "I've spent enough of my life sulking about, and crying over things I can't change. I'm resolved to change things in my life that I can and survive those I cannot."

Her comments met with stares from both girls, confusion from Janice of course, but something different from Lily, respect? She was impressed with how far Hermione had come from that girl she'd seen clinging to Remus in the darkness of the guest room of the Potter household, the girl who had locked herself in the same room for days only accepting the entrance of Mrs. Potter.

This Hermione Granger was different, stronger and... dare she say happy? Hermione's attention was drawn to her book once more and she began performing a few lazy spells. Lily didn't know what to say so she didn't. She turned her mind to charms work to occupy her.

Please give me some feedback. Thanks


	12. A Wound Reopened

K, I'm sorry guys will someone check this and review me if it came out right this time? I don't know what the heck's going on with my editing lately. I'm just making everything worse when I try and put it into a final chapter document.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter walked into their first true DA meeting Saturday, arriving late to see a very irate Hermione glance over at them. She pointed to Sirius to pair up with Remus and waved Peter to one of the fourth years without a partner. "We're going over expelliarmus," she said sharply as James walked up.

"Learned that ages ago, fourth year," James told her.

"Well I learned it in my second, performed it in practice during my third and used it many times in duels since then," she said, shortly.

"You're mad because we weren't on time," James said.

"You're the leader here, James... not me. I thought that was the deal. I'd help as long as you led the group," she told him.

"It won't happen again, then. We really were doing something important," James said.

"Should I ask what?" she asked. James shook his head. She nodded. "I want to see you duel for real, one on one," she said. "That is the most important thing."

"Aren't I supposed to be testing you?" he asked.

"I'm surprised you haven't challenged me before. As my handler, you should know my strength and weaknesses."

"Weaknesses: self-doubt, short temper, and emotional. Strengths: Potions, hex-work, cleverness, and the knowing of all things to do with Remus Lupin," James said, cheekily.

"We'll duel later. For now, pretend you actually know what you're doing and help someone," Hermione told him.

She walked over to Edgar, watching as her performed an expelliarmus that sent his girlfriend flying followed by an artful cushioning charm.

"I think you don't need to practice this," she said, with a small smile.

"I'm all right," Edgar said, softly as he parried a stunner from his girlfriend Addie Miller.

"You did brilliantly in Hogsmeade I hear," she said.

"Couldn't do nothing," he told her.

"Very Gryffindor of you," she said. He snorted, sending a strike spell which he aimed to hit just over Addie's shoulder. She ducked with a huff, before sending a hex his way. He slid back a few steps behind a shield, but found it was just a brute force, which was why his shield didn't hold up very well.

"You Gryffindors... you think everyone with a bit of courage was put in the wrong house," he laughed, lowering his wand and turning to him.

"So you're saying the hat didn't say anything about Gryffindor with you... didn't hesitate at all?" she asked with a sly grin.

"I'm surprised Ravenclaw didn't suit you better, perfect OWLs," he told her.

"They teach us well in-"

"Australia?" Edgar asked as Addie started walking over. No point in staying dueling distance away when he wasn't dueling her anymore

"How did you know about my OWLs scores?" she asked.

"Ed's mum works on the board," Addie said. "Wait you looked at her OWL's? Should I be jealous here?"

"Ten," Edgar told Addie, leaving the second question as it was a non-issue for them. "What I'm wondering, is why you score so high on your OWLs and then show up to this school and don't take it by storm. You should, reasonably, be the top student in at least four subjects, but you fall short. You even took exams for classes that you aren't even taking this year."

"Ed, her marks aren't low by any means!" Addie said, surprised at her boyfriend's bluntness.

Hermione smiled though, watching Edgar closely. "You sure the hat didn't stop on Ravenclaw either? You're smarter than you look," she said.

"That isn't an answer to my question," Edgar said.

"Technically, you asked no direct question so it requires no direct answer," Hermione replied.

"Why?" he asked.

"Perhaps I've just found more important things to do than try to be the best at everything. Maybe I've decided that there are people and things that are more important than me. Why should I barge in here in your last quarter, lock myself up in the library, make myself miserable, and make everyone who had topped their subjects miserable by replacing them?" she asked.

Addie stared, obviously not missing that she hadn't refuted being able to top the classes that Edgar implied she could. She was so confident, so calm. It was intimidating. She held her back straight and held her head high, but was so mature, so laid back. It was strange for someone their age. Addie had heard of her genius in Potions, rivaling that of Severus Snape, but to think she could do that well in all her studies... That had to be impossible!

"Let us continue this discussion later, perhaps?" Hermione asked, as her eye caught Peter, who was doing quite horribly over there on his own. The fourth year was getting him with expelliarmus again and again, leaving him quite worse for the wear.

"Of course," Edgar nodded. She walked off and he nodded to Addie who went back to where she'd been standing.

"What was that about," Amelia Bones asked her brother over her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it 'Melia," he told her. She shrugged, sending off a curse.

James and Hermione stood in the center of the room and the others in the group gathered around in a large circle watching with excitement. They were about to see the top two duelists in the school go at it. Edgar had been beaten by Hermione a few minutes before and James had defeated Sirius before that. Hermione had offered loudly to beat Remus in front of everyone, but he'd declined, shaking his head at her lack of modesty. He didn't much feel like facing up against a witch he'd trained after twenty more years experience. That would be crazy.

"Seconds?" Edgar asked.

"I'll take Sirius," James said, backing towards his friend. Sirius stepped up beside him, shaking his hand confidently.

"Right, then I'll have Remus," Hermione said.

"No good," James shook his head.

"Remus is our best mate," Sirius shrugged.

"Are you serious?" Remus asked.

"You going to break the code, Moony?" James asked, with a shocked tone.

"You idiots have a code?" Lily asked.

Remus however, was backing away. Apparently they did and fighting against them would be breaking it. "You two hurt her and I'll hex you into next week," Remus told them as he went back to where he'd been standing a few moments before.

"You think they can hurt me?" she sent him a betrayed look. "If that's the case I don't want you as my second anyway!" Hermione said, with resolve. She cast a glance over the group. She grinned. "I choose Lily Evans."

"She'd never!" James exclaimed, but Lily was by Hermione's side in a moment.

"You played dirty taking Remus away from her," Lily said, coolly. James glared.

"I think Lily has more practice fighting with you than anyone else here James or in the world," Amelia said from the back. Laughter rippled through the group, echoing in the large room.

"You afraid of being embarrassed by your girl, Jamesy?" Dan Jones goaded. A few more comments were tossed around, during which James glowered at his uncooperative girlfriend.

"I could have chosen Edgar, but honestly where's the fun in that? He could take Sirius down in a few seconds flat," Hermione said. Sirius' eyes narrowed.

"Still don't know why you didn't want in on this, Remus," Edgar said from across the way. He was the duel referee. He meant fighting earlier so he might be one of the two standing.

"I'd rather avoid crossing wands with my girlfriend, thanks mate," Remus said. A round of chuckles went through the group.

"You two aren't scared of two little girls, are you?" Lily asked James, smartly.

"Of course I'm not!" James exclaimed.

"Perhaps you should be," she said, her expression turning to steel.

Hermione walked forward from Lily's side, meeting James face to face at the center of the dueling ground, well more forehead to chin, but she tilted her head up so she could meet his eyes. They turned slowly and took the appropriate amount of steps away from each other before turning back to face each other again, taking their stances.

"Ready? On three then," Edgar said. Both Gryffindors stared each other down, willing the other to have a break in concentration, a tell, anything to gain the upper hand. "One." Hermione evened out her breathing, Remus' voice twenty years from now filling her ears as she stared into James' eyes. 'Never forget to breathe in a duel. The duelist that forgets to breathe is always the first to go down.' "Two." She then relaxed into her stance, this time Harry's own words coming to her. 'Relax. Yes it's a duel and yes, you're probably the one with the least experience and the least amount of talent, but as long as you trust yourself and keep control, you can beat any odds.' "Three." Hermione's step forward sent a powerful hex from her wand. No words were spoken as Hermione and James both went from offensive to defensive when their spells slipped past each other heading straight for their targets.

Finally a spell hit Hermione, but when James turned to gloat, she was back on her feet. As he was turning, since she would never hit someone without a death eater mask in the back with a spell, she sent a strike spell, straight for his stomach. It connected and he went flying back. She immobilized him with another artful bit of wand work. Then she sent a challenging look to Sirius.

He was much easier to get past. After a few spells, most unspoken, Sirius joined his friend on the ground in a leg-locker hex. She walked over to them. "Hm... guess a few years really does make a difference. Who'd have thought," she smirked at them.

"Give me one year and I will take you down," Sirius grumbled. Lily came up behind Hermione, and clapped her on the back. "Now what to do with them?" Hermione performed the counter-hexes and both stood, looking very sullen while the others just laughed and joked about how lightly they'd taken Hermione.

"Head Boy oh head boy, it may be just a glitch. Oh wait it's not. He lost to a witch!" a voice shrieked from the back of the room.

"What the hell! How did Peeves get in here?" James shouted, furiously as Peeves swooped out.

"I might have let him in. Perhaps I am becoming a bit overconfident," Hermione said. "I may have helped with the rhyme ahead of time too."

"What the hell would you do that for?" Sirius growled.

"I'm kidding! Only kidding. I don't know how that stupid poltergeist got in here!" Hermione chuckled, slipping her wand away and holding up her hands as a sign of surrender. She backed towards Remus, a bit worried the two would actually get angry about this.

"Down boys. Why would Hermione call him into a private meeting. He's Peeves. He could tell the whole bloody school," Lily said reasonably.

"Right well... the rest of you lot should clear out. You should have something to study or something," James said testily. With mutters and smirks, the bulk of their little order rushed out. Hermione felt a pair of arms around her shoulders and was pulled back into a warm chest. She glanced over her shoulder at Remus, kissing him on the cheek.

"God, honestly. I'm going to throw up. Lily and James are bad enough, but with you two..." Sirius shivered, walking across the room.

"You're only sore because she kicked you butt," Lily said, sitting down on a chair at the table in the corner.

"Shove off Evans," Sirius gritted out.

"Honestly. I don't know what you're so mad about. The only thing I've been doing for the past three years is duel, and before that I had had plenty of help from you, learning to do it," Hermione said.

"I thought you hardly even spoke to-" Remus whispered into her ear, but she cut him off with a soft "shh."

"James, you shouldn't be upset either. You would have probably beat me if you hadn't turned to brag and lost concentration. Your form's good and your strategy was strong against mine. Besides, I would never have gotten far without Harry. He was a brilliant duelist," she told him. "That parts true at least," she muttered, to Remus, who snorted softly, trying not to laugh.

"Fine, well... I suppose you do have an advantage," James said.

"Which is unfair," Sirius muttered. Peter smiled, sitting down beside Lily.

Hermione took Remus' hand, playing with his fingers, her blood still full of the adrenaline from the duel. She wanted to get out, to run or jump around or do something. "You know. I think this whole thing was a good idea," she said, cheerily.

"Told you didn't we?" Peter said.

"I suppose I should listen to you lot more often, shouldn't I?" she said. "Have they gotten that stuff off of the walls yet?"

"I'm pretty sure they did, but somehow they reappeared a few days ago." Sirius said, with a confident smirk.

"You'll drive Filch mad!" she exclaimed, but laughed all the same. It was rather funny after all. Filch always seemed to deserve what he got somehow. She gripped Remus' hand tightly in hers, sending him a look that she knew he'd understand, or she hoped he'd understand at least.

"Come on. I'm hungry," Remus muttered.

"The great hall isn't serving and it's almost curfew!" Lily reminded them, sharply.

"Oh leave them be, Lils," James said, rolling his eyes as Remus pulled Hermione out by the hand.

Hermione clutched his arm as he pulled her through the halls towards the kitchen, but they never really made it there. He opened the door to a broom cupboard and pulled her into it with him. She felt laughter bubble within her as he slammed the door closed. She backed to the wall, grinning.

Remus turned, eyes shining that predatory gold color, drawing her in. He walked towards her, and she let him get very close, but when his face was inches from hers, she lifted her hand and held it to his chest, stopping him. He let out a frustrated growl, but she simply took out her wand, leaning past his face, and reaching around him with her wand.

"Unless you want to be interrupted," she whispered, her lips touching against his ear. He growled, but allowed her to perform a few charms, before taking her wand from her hand and tossing it behind him.

He pushed her up against the wall. She sucked in a sharp breath as he nuzzled her neck, before placing a kiss over her jugular. She could hear his heartbeat in her ears, could feel the blood rushing through his veins as she placed a hand on the side of his neck. Her heartbeat sped up, considerably and she felt a tightening in her lower belly. She grabbed his hair and forced him from her neck so she could kiss him passionately.

She moaned as his tongue slipped into her mouth and used her own to fight his for dominance. She moaned into his mouth as he pressed against her harder, his leg pressing against her intimately. She could hardly stand it and he knew it. He could smell it. She knew that much because she could smell him as well and it was driving her nuts. His hand slid under her shirt, touching the soft skin of her lower back. She moaned, then she stiffened.

Her hand around his back slid away and she placed it on his shoulder. He broke the kiss, sensing her unease immediately. He pressed his forehead to hers, breathing heavily. She could feel his heartbeat against her chest and could feel a very prominent sign of his arousal against her hip.

His eyes bore into hers, piercing through her. She gasped for breath, sliding her forehead from his and dropping it to his shoulder, tears stinging her eyes. "I..." she whispered.

Suddenly he seemed to understand. The hand beneath her shirt slowly moved up her back, halting when he felt a bit of raised skin near the bottom of her scar. She winced, wrapping both her arms around his neck, pulling herself as close to him as possible, needing his arms, needing his reassurance. His hand slid her shirt up further as it followed the length of the scar, noting that there were more scars along her back, this merely the nastiest.

Tears were burning in her eyes now sliding their way over her eyelids and down her face. Suddenly Remus brushed his lips against her neck softly. She felt a shiver go through her and let out a soft sob. He kissed her again and then again, making his way up her neck. He kissed the sensitive spot behind her ear before taking his free hand and placing it at the base of her neck, trying to coax her off his shoulder. She sniffled, allowing him to guide her. She tried to keep her head bent, but Remus placed his hand on the side of her face, tilting her chin upwards with his thumb. She tried to swallow another sob as she took in the gentleness of his eyes. She tried to pull away, but his warm body still pressed her into that cold wall.

He kissed her gently, keeping his eyes locked on hers. She whimpered quietly, deepening the kiss and closing her eyes. Remus let her push him back until his back met the wall and let her be in control, her small hands fisting his robes as she gripped onto him, like a lifeline, kissing him with such fire. He returned the kiss softly, slowly, even as she tried to press him. He held her in a tight embrace, brushing her hair aside with his other hand as it tickled his face, his fingers lingering on her cheek.

She slid his robes off of his arms, running her hands up his arms to tangle in his hair once more. She placed her hand on the waistband of his pants, pulling at his jumper impatiently. She became insistent, but he took her hands in his, kissing the knuckles of each before wrapping his arms around her waist once more, returning the passion of her kiss, even as she slowed, something becoming hesitant about her, something unsure.

The very smell of her was driving him nuts, but he went slow. He wanted to wait. He had to wait. She wasn't ready to open up to him fully, even if she thought that was what she wanted. She'd been through too much. "Remus," she spoke when he drew back, looking down at her. "I really do... I really do love you," she whispered, gripping the end of his jumper in her right fist.

"I know, love," he murmured.

"No," she said, eyes filling with tears once more. "You don't. I love you... just as you are right now. I love you Remus Lupin," she whispered, biting her trembling lower lip as she stared down at his chest, unable to meet his eyes again. She was terrified, terrified of rejection, terrified of losing him. Remus relaxed his arms around her and she stepped back, wrapping her arms around herself against the cold.

"Hermione," Remus whispered, staring at her as she trembled. She turned away sharply.

"I'm sorry," she barely breathed. He shook his head.

"No," he said, firmly. He walked to her, taking her shoulders and turning her around, pulling her to him and holding her tightly. The words were stuck in his throat, but she understood. They hadn't been together for very long, but he could feel it. Whether or not it was helped by the magic between them or now, he didn't care but he felt it and surely she understood. He felt sadness sink into the pit of his stomach and he opened his mouth, but still couldn't find the words. He ducked his head, pressing a small kiss to her neck and stroking her long hair soothingly.

"I'm not going anywhere. Stop thinking that I am. I won't leave you again," he whispered. Now that he knew those scars were there. Now that he knew they marred her so badly, he could almost feel them through her thin robes. They practically burned his hands because he knew how much they hurt her.

"Can we go back to the tower?" she asked, softly. He took her hand in his, kissing it, before turning to the door. She held out her hand and her wand shot to it. She took down her own wards, wanting for one of first times in her life to pull away from him. She couldn't do it though. She couldn't blatantly hurt him just because she was hurting. She couldn't hurt someone else she loved even if it did hurt her, the fact that he had pushed her away, the fact that he didn't return her feelings. It hurt... so much.

When they reached the tower, she kissed him briefly once, before hurrying up the stairs. She climbed into her bed, trying to stem the flow of tears, but knowing it couldn't be helped. She felt her bed weighed down slightly then a hand was placed on her arm. Her sobs became heavier and her heart ached. She didn't know why, but it suddenly felt as if it were all right but at the same time everything was so wrong, it all hurt so much. Lily laid down behind her and wrapped an arm around her. Hermione gripped the arm tightly, needing her friend now, needing Lily, not Harry, not Ginny, not Ron, but Lily Evans, her friend... her best friend.

A scream tore through her mind, deep and heartwrenching followed by words, painful words. _"Hermione, please love. please. You have to let go. I can't do this any longer. It... it hurts love, please,_" Hermione felt another wave of fresh, painful tears.

"_Don't cry love. Live for me. Severus, you'll look after her won't you? You'll look after my girl?_" Her heart tore open as if it were still that night, as if that night had never ended, because for Hermione it hadn't in some ways. That pain would never stop, never go away. "_Please Severus. Please just do it."_

"_Drink this._" Severus had pressed a vial to his lips. She had tried to push it from his hands, to get that death vial away from him, but Severus had grabbed her in a tight grip, both her wrists even as she fought him. Remus had finished the potion then waved a hand to her. The seizing had stopped. The screams of pain had ended. She had run to him the moment it was down with a sob. She remembered how his body had trembled with the after effects of that potion. Remus had held her though, had held her and said goodbye. The five coherent minutes they'd had left had not been enough. Oh how she'd screamed, and cried, and even hit him, but he didn't open those beautiful gold eyes again.

She'd been fighting for something that wasn't there. He wasn't there. He wasn't hers. She'd gone through so much to get him back, all the battles, the capture, the torture and now it was apparent that she'd been a fool. She had to give him time, space, but she just needed him so much. After a while, her sobs ceased, but Lily neither left her, nor asked why she was distressed. Lily just held on, knowing instinctively that Hermione was hurting and didn't want to be alone, not now... not again.

I know you were glad that Hermione was starting to feel better about her life and she is, but you have to understand that she went through a lot and it's not all over quite left. How can you have Harry Potter without more darkness? They're trying to kill a dark lord and that's what they'll have to try to do.

Please Review. Thanks for staying with me.


	13. A Broken Heart

So, it took me a while, but it's hard transitioning with a full time-job, 16 credits at college, along with a sport to add a bit of excitement. I'm going to try to pump a few more chapters out, but after all my double-up chapters, I really only have one chapter after this one that is fully edited and will be up by next week. I'm sorry that I've taken so long, but I'm sure you can see that this is an important turning point in the story and it's not really mine anymore! I feel it has taken on a life of it's own, see parts of it in my sleep sometimes and try to piece them together the next day. For me this story lives and breathes and I only want to do it justice. Please suffer with me through this. I've gotten to a point in my school that I've cleared about half an hour or so every couple days to devote to my story and I think piece by piece I can pull it together but only WITH HELP FROM YOU! Without you guys I'm nothing. Thanks for tossing in so many reviews last time. I'll get a chapter up quicker for you this time.... much quicker I promise.

Your very tired Authoress, who's going to bed now... :)

"Hermione," a soft voice pulled her from her slumber. She jerked, feeling a hand on her arm, grabbing for her wand, but the red-head had backed up quickly. "It's only me, 'mione," she reassured her.

"Lily," Hermione said, lifting a hand to her forehead. "What time is it?"

"We have classes in an hour. I thought you might want something to eat, so I just..." Lily nodded to a tray in the corner. Hermione looked at it then at Lily. She stood sharply, grabbing Lily in a tight embrace.

"Thank you," Hermione whispered.

"You'd have done the same for me," Lily replied, as Hermione pulled back. Lily gave her a small reassuring smile.

"You won't... you won't tell Remus or the others...?"

"I swear it," Lily said.

"And the others...?" Hermione questioned.

"I think Janice may have heard, but Susan didn't show any indication."

"We have to find her, now," Hermione said, frantically, her heart pounding along with her head.

"Hermione, calm down. Janice would never... I mean she wouldn't would she?" Lily asked.

Hermione's stomach twisted. "He'd be the first person she'd go to," Hermione whispered. She changed quickly and walked to the door, opening it and glancing out taking a deep breath. He was there, near the bottom of the stairs. She could smell him, faint smell of his shave gel along with the deeper, more earthy scent of him. Then came the overpowering scent of Janice's muggle perfume. It mixed with Remus' comforting, familiar smells, pushing them back.

"Oh lord," she muttered, closing the door.

"What is it?"

"He and Jan are at the bottom of the stairs," Hermione whispered. "Of course she wouldn't know better. She probably thought something really bad happened. Her first thought would be to go to Remus, wouldn't it?" Hermione swallowed down the tears. She felt so hopeless but she already cried too much without starting now.

"I have James' cloak," Lily said.

Hermione glanced at her in sincere surprise. "He leant you his cloak?"

"I needed a book," she said, blushing. "Do you want to try it or not?"

"Wouldn't work. I can smell him from here and I have no doubt he can smell me," she muttered.

"Because of your...?" Lily asked, delicately not knowing quite how to finish that. Hermione nodded. "Do you think he knew that you opened the door already and looked out? I could tell him you're too sick to come down."

"Thanks, but he probably heard the door open," Hermione murmured. "Actually, if he's really concentrating, he should be able to hear me talking to you right now," Hermione said softly, the gnawing feeling inside her almost too much to bear. She felt as if there were insects crawling inside her and the moment he touched her, she'd fall apart.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Lily asked.

"I have nothing to hide from him, especially if Janice already-" Hermione trailed off, her words at complete odds with the way that she really felt. She grabbed a hair tie and charmed it to fit around her mane of hair. It was held back from her face tightly. She straightened her fresh school robes, shouldering her book bag and took to the stairs, moving quickly so she could try to get past him as swiftly as possible. Lily followed closely.

"All right love?" Remus asked as she reached the bottom landing.

"Fine," Hermione muttered, continuing past him, her head held admirably high. She was even able to keep her lip from trembling as she went. Just the sight of him, made her want to just break, just crawl into a whole and die a horrible painful death. Remus however wasn't to be fooled like he had been the night before. Janice had told him that she'd spent half the night crying in Lily's arms. He followed her closely, placing a hand on her shoulder to stop her, but she shrugged him off roughly, not able to handle the contact, him touching her disgusting shoulder, her disgusting body. She tore away from him as if the very demons of hell were stalking her, hardly slowing as she turned a corridor.

Remus stood in shock as Lily sped after her, glancing back at him, confusedly. Apparently she hadn't even confided in Lily. Janice said she didn't know what the matter had been. That meant... She was upset with him. She was upset about last night. How could he have missed that the night before? He felt his blood begin to rush and his head pound as if it would burst. She had cried... not because of her past, not because of her friends' deaths, or the stress of her new position in the newly growing Ash or pre-established Order of the Phoenix, but because of him.

"Remus..." Janice whispered, in shock. She knew that Hermione cared for him a great deal. For her to brush him off like that was... She'd thought she'd never see it.

Remus had been dealt this before though, her bouts of unexplainable anger and sadness. He wasn't going to let it go this time. He wasn't going to let her be miserable without telling him why she was upset with him. He knew he had hurt her by not responding to her confession, but he was confused. It was all a very lot to take in. She was a lot to take in. Of course he... but she was...

"Absolutely bloody perfect for you moron," Remus growled angrily to himself, confusing Janice, but now understanding what was really going on. He took off after Hermione in a run. He caught up to her on the stairs between the fifth and fourth floors as she'd slowed to a swift walk. She had her head down now, her shoulders rounded. He jumped to catch the stairs before they changed and Lily and Hermione turned to him. Hermione quickened her steps, but he would have none of it. There were plenty of students around them but he didn't care. He didn't care who was around, who saw him- them.

He stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stay put. She gritted her teeth and looked off to the side. "Please let go, Remus," she whispered, looking to the side.

"Not until you tell me where we stand," Remus said, passionately. Lily looked around as eyes from all the way down the corridor turned to see what was going on.

"Why don't you tell me?" she demanded, looking up at him. He read the pain in her eyes, wondering how he could not have seen it before. "You want me to yell about it in front of the entire school? Is that what you want?" she cried, her voice rising. "Here we are Remus. I'll do it if you want! I'm a bloody worthless-"

"STOP IT!" Remus roared, grabbing her arm tightly and jerking her down a few steps, covering her mouth.

"Remus!" Lily cried, thinking he was really hurting her, but she only winced slightly. Remus didn't get angry. Remus didn't get upset. He was calm, reserved, and patient, never angry.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked, trying to keep the pain from his own voice. She ripped her arm from his grasp, slapping his hand away from her mouth, and shouldering past him, tearing down the corridor.

"Remus leave her be," Lily called as he followed her.

"Mind your own bloody business for once Lily Evans!" Remus snapped.

"Remus!" Edgar exclaimed, stepping in front of him and placing a hand on his chest. "You need to cool off! Let the girls handle it." Edgar said.

"You don't know me, Edgar and you sure as hell don't know anything about Hermione. She's not fine and she doesn't need them. She needs me," Remus said, glaring after Lily and Addie.

"Hey, what's going on here?" James asked.

"Remus lost his temper a bit with Hermione," Edgar said.

"Is she all right?" Sirius asked.

"She's fine. Lily and Addie went to see to her," Edgar said.

"She's bloody well not fine!" Remus roared, stepping towards Edgar, fists balled, but Edgar stood steady, wand in hand. Sirius stepped between them, pushing Remus back, hard.

"You're way out of line, mate" Sirius said, seriously. "Cool it!" he ordered.

"You don't understand!" Remus roared. "None of you bloody understand what she's going through! Hell I don't even understand it, but I get this damn it! I get this!"

People were really staring at them. No one had ever seen the calm and composed Remus Lupin so out of sorts. Anger was not an emotion he usually showed and now he was practically radiating with it, pacing back and forth across the corridor, Sirius' eyes following him closely, ready to detain him if necessary. He was so out of his skin, out of control really. If a professor were here, he'd already be stunned and off to the hospital wing until he woke naturally.

He let out a roar pounding his fists onto the stone wall, resting his head against it for a moment before turning swiftly and sliding down along the wall. Remus' knees were bent and elbows upon them, hands covering his face, as he tried to calm himself. Everyone was in the way. They were between him and Her. He needed to get to her. He needed to make her see. They were all just in the way. Sirius walked over to him, but he couldn't look at him. He was so angry and some of that anger was not his own. It was hers. He could feel her... inside him. She was there, and it hurt.

"What did he do?" James asked Edgar quietly. He'd been drawn there because Lily's necklace had called him

"He yelled at her to stop something, and then grabbed her pretty roughly, pulling her down the stairs a bit. She pulled away from him and stormed off that direction. I really thought he was going to hurt her," Edgar said. "Addie and Lily went after her." Edgar looked over at Remus, in more confusion than anything. He'd dated a few Hufflepuffs and had never gotten like this. Something big must have happened. He didn't know what.

"Just because it's almost that time of the month, doesn't make this okay, Moony," Sirius said, darkly, standing over him, ignoring Edgar and James talking a short ways behind him.

"No, it makes it that must more important. I need to just talk to her. She thinks... she thinks I don't want her or some nonsense like that. She's... Janice said Lily stayed up with her last night and she cried and cried," Remus said, something almost as deep, as powerful as grief in his voice. "I never say the bloody right things," he hissed, growling once more, his fists balled.

"Why would she think nonsense like that. What did you say?" Sirius asked, irritatedly.

"You know... she gets depressed and I get angry every month at the exact same time. This is really going to be a problem, wouldn't you say?" Remus muttered, not even telling Sirius that he wouldn't answer that.

Sirius knew very well that Remus kept his private things private. The fact that he and Hermione had been together had been hard enough to drag out of him when it had happened and then finding out how serious they were becoming was another shock. Sirius didn't even know much about Maria, the Ravenclaw girl Remus had dated last term, or Terry from last summer. He'd had two serious girlfriends without even one of his friends noticing. this was polar opposite of those relationships though. This was a whole new quidditch game.

Addie came jogging up, anxious and out of breath, bypassing Edgar and James to stand before Remus and Sirius. Remus didn't even look at her, but he raised his head slightly to show she had his attention as she shifted nervously, looking down at him as if he might attack her. "She... we can't even get her to calm down enough to talk to tell us why she is... Remus I'm sorry but we..."

Remus pushed himself to his feet. Addie backed up towards Edgar "Perhaps next time you'll mind your own bloody business," Remus growled out though he made no move for Addie.

"Can I go now, Mr. Bones, since the girls have it so well sorted?" Remus asked, spitefully as he passed Edgar, who gave Addie a confused look. Sirius and James followed him quickly as he walked swiftly down the hallway. He walked fast, heading down another set of stairs, following her scent and when he came close enough, he began to hear her soft sobbing coming from inside an empty classroom.

"You stay out here," he snapped at Sirius and James, not even waiting to greet Peter as he walked up, asking what was going on.

"Remus," Lily whispered. Hermione let out a devastated sob, standing from the chair Lily and Addie had settled her in, running into his open arms.

"Hermione, how could you even think that I don't..." Remus trailed off, glancing at Lily, who squeaked and took the hint. Lily hurried out, realizing as she glanced back at them that she'd been so stupid to think that Remus would really hurt Hermione.

He took her face in his hands and pulling away from her slightly. "I want you. I do baby, so much, but not in a broom cupboard, not like that," he whispered, stroking her cheek with his thumb. She closed her eyes tightly, relief and self-loathing warring within her. She wanted to just curl up in his arms, but he held her face still, wanting her to see how much he wanted her, wanting her to realize how much he loved her. He loved her. He did. He pressed a kiss on her forehead, before allowing her to push herself fully into his arms, to use him to keep her grounded, to make her real, because he was the one she needed when she was sad. He was the the one she needed when she was lost and confused. She was his as much as he was hers.

"I-I don't know what's wrong with me. I think the moon next week must be..." she trailed off, ashamed to be trying to make excuses. He touched his hand to the tender place on her arm and she winced. "I didn't really want to make a scene."

"I think I did that for the both of us," he whispered, staring at her arm, regretfully. Remus whispered the small charm to clear the tears from her face. He was becoming quite adept at it now. He took her hand, and this time she gripped his back tightly, which he hadn't realized until that moment she hadn't the night before. She also grabbed his elbow with her other hand, keeping as close to him as possible.

She was surprised at the small group outside the room, but contented herself to walk with Remus as he pointedly ignored them, looking angry. They must have detained him when he tried to go after her. She'd been glad at the time, but then it had hurt. "Remus," a voice said behind them. Remus glanced back, but Hermione simply held onto his arm. "I'm sorry," Lily said.

"Next time. I hope you all learn to mind your own business. I would never hurt her. You'd do well to remember that," he growled. Hermione glanced down at her own arm. He had grabbed her, sure, but she'd been yelling at him. They had stopped him because they thought he'd hurt her? She shivered, thinking how a possessive, near-moon Remus would have reacted to that.

They walked to the great hall side-by-side, to grab a very quick breakfast. Remus took her pack from her shoulder and slipped it on the shoulder opposite of his bag before taking her small hand in his. He needed her just as much as she him. He had no idea how he had gone so long without her in his life in her time. It was unfathomable how he had spent sixteen years before finding her and even longer before having her to himself. He had girlfriends before, very serious girlfriends even, but this was different. He ached when she wasn't near and even when she was. He wouldn't let her go, ever.

Thank you for reading. Loved it? Hated it? Was it a break from the feelings of the last chapter or did it just reenforce them? Let me know you're out there still, that you're still with me after that long time away. You can even yell at me for taking so long if you'd like. Tell me what you think: about my direction or my characters: Edgar (do you like how I've portrayed him and want to see more), Severus (Don't Worry you'll see more and more), about Sirius, James and Lily, Peter... I want to know what you think.


	14. A Life Saved

Wow... I said a few days and it's been weeks. I'm a horrible person, but hey AUTHOR ALERTS/STORY ALERTS kick ass so you're all back right? Goodness I hope so. I'm really sorry for being so sporadic with this story, but I completely stripped the next few chapters after running into a writer's block so it's good that I waited or I wouldn't be able to lead you anywhere. I have a much better idea of what I'm doing now so don't get too upset with me please.

Well, it may be a bit rougher than I like to put out, because I only wrote the last scene a few days ago and I've only gone over it once or twice, but I think that you deserve more, that you deserve to see a bit further into my head. It's not a lot and perhaps I should have lengthened this to double the length and split it into two chapters, but I was too impatient. Hopefully my impatience doesn't negatively impact your opinion of my story.

Review Responses are at the end. Thank you so much to all of you for staying with me.

"Congratulations, Miss Granger. We have successfully made the dark lord believe he has a spy in his midst," Dumbledore said as Hermione sat down before his desk, tiredly.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance. I just want to change enough before that prophesy comes so that it won't occur," Hermione said, softly, distractedly.

"Our last meeting was most beneficial. I could not have imagined you knew so much about lives lost in this first war, about all the happenings now," Dumbledore told her.

"When I went to Hogwarts and befriended Harry, I became involved. When Voldemort rose and I knew he'd come after Harry, I had to do something. I learned all I could in my fifth and sixth years about all that had happened in the first war. Stuff's always just floating around in here. It's crammed so tight not even I know all that I know," Hermione said, tapping the side of her head.

"I believe congratulations are in order. Your new potion has really hit it off with the community. I daresay a few witches didn't realize its true purpose and gained a few pounds to help remedy the effects of their maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle," he said.

"That was the general idea. I hope they don't all get too worked up about it. I've received a few nasty owls, through Candice, but she screens them before the get to me. James also looks my letters over, before handing them to me."

"I understand his caution and would commend him for it even. It is good to know that he is looking after you well. I'm very sure certain friends of his are aiding in that endeavor, no doubt," he said, his twinkling eyes meeting hers kindly.

She smiled, softly. "Remus does rarely let me out of his sight," she murmured, thoughtfully.

"Just as well. The dark lord should make the connections soon. He will not understand how you know what you know, but he doesn't believe in coincidence. You show up mysteriously from 'Australia' in the middle of the school year and I am able to counter his moves before he can think of them," Dumbledore said. "Stay close to your friends, Miss Granger. I'm sure they'll look after you where I cannot."

"I will sir. Is there anything else you needed headmaster," she asked.

"I've heard you are testing a new product and not for your cosmetics company, but the order. May I inquire as to what it would accomplish?" he asked.

"Well, I'd hoped to wait until it was tested. The treatment ends tomorrow evening," she said. "But... it's a neural stimulant. The main purpose is for it to stimulate the cerebral cortex for it to be able to maintain complete control when one tries to perform a curse that might restrict free will."

"A cure for the Imperius Curse," Dumbledore translated, interestedly.

"Yes, but it's done more than that. I mean, Sirius hardly needs sleep anymore. It's strange, but the lack of sleep doesn't effect him. It's not like when you take an invigoration draft. The body requires only 50% of the sleep it might under normal circumstances. I've looked him over and James watches him closely for any signs of side effect. His classes are another interesting thing. He is able to concentrate in a way that he's never before and he comprehends brilliantly. He even was able to explain to James something that we'd gone over in History of Magic last Thursday," she said.

"I've heard some talk in the staff room this past week about this change you speak of. It is remarkable. A side-effect you say?" he said, nodding intrigued.

"I have told no one outside of the marauders. Not even Lily Evans knows," Hermione said.

"Peter Pettigrew?" Dumbledore asked, in an almost cool tone.

"Doesn't know. I feel obliged to tell you however, that he remains loyal to his friends and myself as well, which surprised me, but I tested him with a loyalty ball after putting a reverse charm on it. He got in a spot with a few Slytherins a while back," she explained.

"Reverse charm, eh? Very clever so it would draw those he was most loyal to forward," Dumbledore said, softly.

"I'm worried about the entire situation. Peter was up rather very early and if he was with Slytherins it makes me wonder why they happened to be up that early on a Saturday as well," Hermione muttered.

"James has brought forth the same concerns, but I think it is all a matter of time," he said. "We must wait patiently to see how it unfolds... at least for the time being. I look forward to your new potion in the meantime," Dumbeldore told her.

"Thank you sir," she muttered.

"Is James testing the potion tomorrow night then?" Dumbledore asked.

"I believe that will have to be so," she nodded, knowing what tomorrow was. The weight that pressed down on her, would have told her if she had never looked at a calendar.

"You will be in the room of requirement?" he asked.

"Yes. It worked well last time I think," she said softly, not asking how he knew about her using the room. He nodded.

"Good luck then," he told her.

"Thank you sir," Hermione said, nodding. She stayed She turned from the room, closing the door softly behind her. Remus smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. All right then?" he asked her tiredly. She nodded, walking with him to the Great Hall. He sat down, leaving enough room between him and Sirius for her to sit. Sirius gave her a silly grin.

"I can't believe you've done this to him," James said from across the table, eying his friend, closely.

"What?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"That stuff you're giving him! Last night he-"

"James!" Sirius snapped.

"He STUDIED! There I said it. Can't take it back now Padfoot!" James cried, dramatically. "I had to tell someone. There's something seriously wrong with you and I can't keep the secret on my own!"

"You studied, Sirius?" Lily asked, with a strange look.

"Yes, did you know. I can actually read," he said to Lily before sending James a glare.

Remus laughed. "Bravo, Hermione. I've been trying for years and haven't gotten him to study more than a handful of times."

"I'm running out of pranks to pull on my own," Sirius exclaimed, sending James a look. "And I can't sleep very much with this stuff. I'm just never tired!"

"Tomorrow night, James. I need you to try it. I want to be certain it happens immediately after the completion of the dosing," she said.

"Right," James nodded, in understanding. "If this works, you'll already have given us a huge advantage," James told her, seriously.

"That's kind of the idea of my being here. I have to make a difference somehow, other than setting off a chain of events to encourage attacks," she said, referring of course to the attack on Hogsmeade. She spoke quietly so none of the students nearby could hear the subject. "If this works out and if I can refine it to a shorter treatment time, it should make the Imperius Curse obsolete. Sure, it's only one of three, but it's a start."

"So, it really doesn't work against you?" Sirius asked, interestedly, staring at her.

"Not since my change and I tried it on Remus when he wasn't paying attention. He didn't even notice," she said.

"You did what?" he demanded.

"It was pushed back by the wolf," she muttered. "You never noticed, because it was dealt with before it could reach your mind."

"So you just performed and unforgivable on me, just like that?" he muttered.

"Remus..." she said, with a sigh.

"That's not something you can just do, Hermione," Remus said, testily.

"I apologize then. My comprehension of right and wrong has been a bit scewed in the last few years. Where I came from, Unforgivables were handed out like candy, Cruciatus in the schools for punishment, Imperious for childish pranks, and Avada's for a spot of fun with the muggles," she said. "I will not do it again."

Remus shook his head, not looking at her. He was irritated and she knew it wouldn't do anything to try to try to make it all right now. His temper was short as was hers and the smallest argument could be disastrous with the moon so close at hand. She groaned. Tomorrow night. It was almost upon them. Her head began to ache so she stood, taking a small sandwich with her as she left the table without a word, bent on simply walking around aimlessly for a while at least. She just went where feet led her.

She turned down a corridor, turning around sharply when she saw Professor Slughorn walking her way. No reason to speak to someone she quite honestly wanted nothing to do with at the moment. His footsteps pursued however, and finally when she reached the second floor corridor she turned a corner and pretended to catch a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. She turned and smiled.

"Professor, good evening," she said, in the most cheerful voice she could muster.

"Hermione, wonderful to see you. I had something to ask you about," he told her. She felt dread come over her. Slug Club... She knew this conversation was coming.

"I am having a little gathering in my offices this Friday Evening. I would be delighted if you would join us. It's simply an interschool gathering of our best and brightest students. Your Potions Partner will be attending, as well as your friend Lily," he said. He must have seen the apprehension in her eyes as he pressed onward. "You may bring Mr. Lupin as well."

"Thank you sir, but I really-"

"No, no, none of that! This could be important for your future young lady and I won't take no for an answer. Friday then!" he said, turning and high-tailing it before she could object once more. She let out a feral growl, before turning and stalking towards the stairs, heading up towards Gryffindor Tower, increasingly upset by the moment.

She made it to the seventh floor and through the portrait without further incident however and found Lily trying to explain a complicated charm to Peter, who looked hopelessly lost. She walked to them and sat beside Lily, sourly. She didn't get involved in the conversation, thinking of all the different ways she could slip Slughorn a poison without him even take the slightest notice. The problem was, most of the poisons she knew that weren't fatal could be counteracted by simple ingestion of a bezoar.

She felt hot all of a sudden and loosened her tie, tugging it off and shrugging off her robes. She tossed them over the back of the chair. She needed... she needed something to do to act, but she didn't know what. She felt very uncomfortable, anxious and twitchy. As she unbottoned the top few buttons of her shirt, and leaned back, she glanced up and caught sight of Remus watching her from the other side of the room, his gold eyes blazing. She realized the source of her unease immediately. Her wolf was reacting to his. How could she have not noticed them over there with Sean Jacobs, watching her like that?

She felt her face burn red and looked away from him sharply. What had happened from him being mad at her an hour ago. It drove her mad, having those eyes on her. He replied to a question from Sean, eyes not leaving her until he was forced away to direct the boy to a passage in the book. Remus was always the model prefect... well other than the multitude of things he allowed his friends get away with.

After a few minutes he stood and walked over to them, sitting across from her beside Peter. She sat up stiffly, buttoning up a couple of the buttons she'd undone and glancing at him as she tried to focus on what Lily was saying about Peter's improper wand usage, but Remus was hard to ignore, especially when he stared so intently.

"Stop," she said, sharply, but he didn't seem fazed. Lily looked at her, then at Remus in confusion, who didn't even bat an eye. Hermione refused to look up at him, but knew that he didn't look away.

"It doesn't work on me," she said, in a sing-song voice.

"You feel everything I do," he said, gruffly.

"You're so stupid," she muttered, fighting back a small smile.

"Am I?" he said, that dark humor still lingering in his husky voice.

"Is this some werewolf thing I don't want to know about?" Lily whispered softly. Hermione looked at Lily for a moment, then looked at Remus, whose eyes still glowed at her.

She laughed. "This is definitely some werewolf thing you don't want to know about," she said. Remus smirked devilishly. Humor boiled in her, but the humor was not her wolves but her own. No, the thing inside her was sending different signals to her brain altogether and to other parts of her body, but Hermione's formidable will and control allowed her to brush the wolf's feelings aside with a patient, practiced ability to see the humorous side of things.

"You can't hypnotize me, Remus," she murmured. "I'm more strong-willed than the thing inside me not to mention I'm stronger than you." She finally raised her eyes to twinkle at him, but he simply looked contemplative, his still-gold eyes blazing like fire.

"Do you think you are?" Remus asked, cocking his head to the side. Hermione heard the challenge in his voice, but she tried to ignore it. Now wasn't the time to test their super-supernatural abilities.

"Why would he try to hypnotize you?" Lily asked.

"Because it's what the thing inside me wants me to do to him. It would make for a very uncomfortable conversation if I were to explain it," Hermione said. "My Remus here, just doesn't realize that he needs to keep it in control."

"I didn't know werewolves could hypnotize people," Lily said, interested.

"You don't want to know all that werewolves can do," Hermione said with a smirk. She felt Remus' magic push at her, nudge her gently and gave a swift shove back. He winced, sending her a shocked look.

"I said that's enough, Remus," she told him seriously. "We're not playing this game."

'Seems they're getting more and more familiar,' Hermione thought to herself, thinking of their wolves. She stood, and Remus stood as well. "I'm going for a walk- alone," she said, pointedly. She picked up her tie and robes and headed towards the door, tossing the robes on and sliding her tie into a pocket. His face fell and he let out a dramatic huff, but he let her go without argument and she tried to brush off the anger of the thing inside her as she moved further from him.

Hermione wandered the halls aimlessly, avoiding any Gryffindor zones. She didn't want to run into any of the marauders were Sirius or James wandering. She wanted almost less to run into Remus. She cared about him. She really did, but he was always there and as they neared the moon they were either liable to jump each other or get into a huge argument. They didn't need any more arguments at the time and as for the other one... well. Hermione sighed, rubbing her forehead.

Her feet found their way towards the dungeons soon enough. There were very few Gryffindor-free zones, but the dungeons were the most reliable. When Hermione reached the last flight of stairs that would lead her to the deepest level of the school dungeons, she stopped. She'd been walking for nearly another hour, lost in depressing thoughts that she wished she could simply brush away completely. She groaned at a fresh wave of weakness and a slight fringe of pain humming over her skin. She lowered herself carefully to the ground, her hand on the cool damp stone. She leaned her forehead against it a moment later, taking deep breaths and willing the pain away.

She had never realized how much there was to being a werewolf, how much Remus had gone through as he had drawn closer to the moon each time. She wanted to talk to him, to apologize and to ask him what he thought about what she was doing now? It was hard to give a label to what she felt for Remus now when what she'd felt before was so strong it overshadowed anything she could feel, anything she should feel. She felt tears well in her eyes and for once she didn't force them back. They slid down her cheeks silently as she stared at the wall before her.

It seemed that sometimes that was all she could do, was to let the pain out, was to find some dark corner of this vast castle and let out all her pain into the nothingness. It often felt like the castle itself was comforting her, wrapping her in the darkness and keeping her from being found when she least wanted company. The castle never misinterpreted her. It understood what she wanted and needed and accommodated her well. She drew in a deep, calming breath and stiffened.

Blood. She could smell a lot of blood. Someone was hurt or... Hermione stood swiftly, focusing all her heightened senses in an instant. She heard a thud and a curse. Whoever it was was breathing very heavily. She heard the male voice put up a ward. It was a very familiar voice, but she couldn't place it. Perhaps it was because of the foreign element of that pain. She took off running towards the smell. Her hand gripped at the stone and she prayed she could keep her feet under her. He was down on the darkest level and there were no lanterns lit.

She performed a quick lumos spell without a word and tried to find her way along the damp, portrait-less walls. She kept running until she realized that the smell was fading. Then with an irritated growl she back-tracked, finding her way to a stone wall where the scent was the strongest. She touched her wand to it, listening intently. There was another soft curse and it clicked. "Severus!?" she cried.

"Bloody fucking hell. GO AWAY GRANGER!" he roared, his voice muffled by the pain as well as the solid wall between them. He sounded weak, very weak.

Hermione didn't even grace him with a response. There was too much blood, too much pain echoing in his fading voice. He needed help. He needed her. She pressed her hand to the wall, feeling for the magic. She knew there were wards. She could feel them as strongly as the magic exuded by Remus when he was near. She performed a complicated spell, and felt one ward come down, but there was more. Severus was nothing if not thorough. The sound of his pain-filled groan made her heart jerk.

"If you helped me, it would make things a lot easier, Snape!" she growled. "I'm going to get through whether you want me to or not!"

"Not," he choked out, gruffly.

"Severus Snape, let me in!" Hermione demanded, performing another spell to tear down a second ward, but there was still more. She paused when she realized that he wasn't responding. She listened hard, but he wasn't breathing. She let out a strangled cry jumping back and turning her wand on the wall.

"BOMBARDA MAXIMA!" she shouted. There was a huge crash and the third ward fell with the sheer force of her spell. She clawed her way in, her hands cut by sharp pieces of stone as she squeezed through the small hole she'd created. The spell had been limited by the powerful ward that had still been holding on the wall.

There was was, slumped against the wall, covered in his own blood. His chest wasn't rising or falling. Hermione's wand moved before her mind could keep up and the words fluttered through her mind as she performed spell after spell. His heart was the first thing she got going then she forced him to breathe. She didn't know the exact spell so she had to improvise by performing a synchronization spell so his breaths would come with her own. She tried to even them out to help him, but it wasn't easy.

"ACCIO!" she called, pointing towards the hole. For the moment she didn't care if Remus saw his box leave his room, didn't care if anyone saw anything. She had to keep him alive. She had to help him, because he wasn't supposed to die. He was supposed to live, to protect Harry... to protect her. Tears streamed down her face, but these were different from the pathetic, self-loathing tears before. She was sobbing, horrified at what she'd done, because it felt like that, like she'd done it. This was her fault.

"Severus, please wake up," she choked out, waving her wand and whispering a soft, melodic healing spell as she tried to heal the numerous wounds.

Her strength was wavering. She was using too much, too quickly and she was too weak as it was. The approaching moon was enough to exhaust her. She was going too far. She hadn't used this magic at once in months and it was very dangerous in her current condition. She didn't want to think about it reaching that point but she was in danger of completely using up her stores of magic. Magic depletion was not something you messed with, but she couldn't stop. She had to save him. He couldn't die.

She touched her hand to a cut on his forehead and was relieved when he flinched and his eyes fluttered. Her sharp vision was becoming hazy, but she forced herself to focus enough to see the cut. She stitched it back together with a simple healing spell. She didn't know the intricate ones so that would leave a scar for certain. She needed James. He needed to help her. Uncertainty struck her. Would he help? She kept herself from calling on him, but only just. Finally the box zoomed in through the hole in the wall. It hit her arm and clattered to the ground. She didn't have enough control over her magic to stop it and her reflexes were fading fast.

"Help me," she pleaded to the castle silently as she opened her box. Apparently enough of her magic remained as there were potions in the kit when she opened it. She forced two blood replenishing potions down Snape's throat, massaging his throat to make him swallow. Finally she took out a bluish-green potion that she knew would awaken him. She touched it to his lips, pouring it carefully and making sure he swallowed it all. Suddenly he sputtered, sitting up sharply. She moved herself behind him, propping her knee up to support him in a sitting position. She couldn't keep herself from wrapping her arms around her shoulders and clutching him to her tightly, the sobs still wracking through her painfully.

He was going to think she was crazy. He must think she was crazy. She was crazy. Even she knew that but she didn't care. She pressed her forehead to the side of his head, for once not caring about the difference between this time and the future because this time she'd saved him. This time she hadn't just watched him die. She'd brought him back. He was breathing heavily, but his large hand came up to cover her arms that were locked around his shoulders in a death grip. They were both covered in sticky, crimson blood. The scent of it was almost overwhelming. Her wolf senses were overpowering even in her weak state, perhaps more so because her magic wasn't stifling the thing inside her for once.

"You're okay," she whispered. "You're okay. You're alive." She chanted again and again until finally the haze was too much. It invaded her vision completely and she fell into darkness, giving in to the nothingness that awaited her.

This may be my most serious cliffhanger and I'm really proud of myself. :) I hope you enjoyed and if you feel like reviewing I would really appreciate it. Without getting jolted back to this story from my own little fanfiction world of Twilight, I might not have returned, but I have and I'm two chapters in, just working on my edits and my direction. You should all thank Tiger Wolf. Simple review, but it was enough to get me back to what I truly love... Harry Potter

pstibbons: my blackberry exploded with all your reviews when I turned it on the next day after you read my story. Haha. I like that you took the time to review each of my chapters. It's exciting to watch someone go through the process all so quickly and to get feedback from each small part. Do you hate Ron though? :) I am not particularly fond of him, but I couldn't see him betraying his friends really. For some reason I have this thing against Tonks. I'm not sure why, but I once tried to write a RL/NT fic and it was just a disaster. I've held a grudge against her since- hence me making her a betrayer here. :)

TigerWolf: Thanks so much. You may not realize it, but you were instrumental in pulling at my creativity. I'm not certain why, but I'm really glad of it. I got your review while I was moping on my break at work. I grabbed me a notebook and redirected the story to fight away from the wall I'd run into. I'm really happy about it. Haha... probably didn't even think you were doing that much huh? It really was important

Jennifer: My goodness. I'm speechless. "The best" is a bit intimidating. I hope I don't let you down now. I'm a bit terrified. Don't worry. I think Remus and Hermione deserve to be portrayed completely as well as Snape and Peter. You'll be happy with my next chapter I think. Peter finally takes part in everything and you may not realize it now, but Hermione is a big part of that. I'll keep posting until I fight through all of this. Thank you for keeping after me. Yours has probably been one of my favorite reviews to read. I remember all of my best reviews and yours was definitely one of them.

Crazybibliophile: I need to reread this chapter. I've never gotten such fantastically positive reviews in my life, almost made me want to cry I was so happy. I didn't, but it was close. I'm glad you like my characterizations. I'm afraid sometimes that I don't have enough Lily/James in my stories, but I plan to work on that. So your comment about constructive criticism was constructive. Isn't that great?

Reih: It's not too close to the end. I'm not sure how long it'll be but there's more I know. I don't hate Peter. In the end he did what was right, even though he messed up all the marauders lives in the first place really. I see him as a clean slate in this era. He has a few years before he becomes hopeless so no one should ever just write him out really. Every person in this world has their own life and their own story and if you think about it, it's a bit stunning to think... do I really know this person. What are they like? Obviously we can't think that about everyone we meet on the street or our heads might explode, but this is my story and I feel like these characters have become a part of me. The story is pulling me along... I'm not taking it anywhere really. I know where I want it to go and I know the points in between, but the words sometimes don't feel like my own.

Anmarie: Thank you for your interest. I'm glad I've moved away from the usual and that you have decided to press that little button to read it. Honestly reviews are fantastic, but the best part of this is just knowing that you're all out there, reading this, feeling what I feel as I put this story to paper

Zerabell Blackborn: That's a pretty cool name. If you read this comment please tell me how you came up with it! Those are some great adjectives and I'm not sure I deserve them all, but I am glad that you say so. I have a difficult time portraying the RL/HG relationship sometimes, but then I just go back and read my reviews and they assure me I'm doing it right so that's a relief. Thanks for your review and I hope you review more. I feed off of you guys even more than you feed on my story!

Loz: Hey! I don't think I'm even going to deal with the Hermione being flung back and forth. Isn't there a space show that that happened in Star Trek or something. Sorry hope you're not some disgusted trekky whose going to hunt me down and kill me with a hammer for getting this wrong. haha. I think I get too much of a headache from trying to write time-travel fics to try and do that sort of thing. I considered it and I suppose that I could tell you she has too but it won't be in the text. I'll update soon and this time I'm not being a liar.

lmno: I was going for believable so I'm glad I've fooled you! Just playing. thanks for the review. I like to think I've thought it through, but I suppose we'll find out before the end right?

Hypatia Cade: There's a lot of rocking going on in your review. I'm glad you like my plotline. I've tried really hard, spend an unbelievable number of hours. This story has been revised so many times that if someone were to drop my first draft down in front of my I'd be like "Huh, what is this?", because honestly I'm pretty sure the first time I wrote this Hermione fell in love with Sirius or Snape and decided in the end that her love for Remus was a love of convenience or something. Wouldn't that just be disgusting to you? Hmm... it makes me sick to think of it.

Generic Wit: Sorry, there had to be some drama sometime. One emotional-scarred 19-20 year old, one boyfriend, and one serious bag of issues that just had to be dropped on you at some point. It may have come out like more of an explosion then necessary, but I think it was instrumental to Hermione and Remus' relationship, not to mention Remus' actions in this chapter will have resounding effects on the (slightly less important) supporting characters of the next few chapters and perhaps beyond. I will update soon this time. I hope you even came back. Your review was like two months ago.

Ellen: I will have more soon. Thank you for checking back. do you have an account? How did you find my story without an alert if not? Do you check Remus/Hermione fics every day?

Mandita: thank you so much. I'll try to keep it in that "loved it" range.

Transgressions: Thanks for popping in. That's very excellent of you and there will more more soon. This time I swear it!

Monnbeam: I hope you don't have to read from the beginning again if that's not what you want to do, but if you do who am I to stop you. Usually before I write a new chapter I read through the story myself too. See, I like my own story. That's a good thing right. It helps me remember who's said what and done what. Without that, I'd be a complete mess. Here's the next update and I'm on the final edit of the next chapter. I'm trying so hard to get them out. I promise there will be another this week. I PROMISE

Dolphindreamer: This one's a little longer I think... perhaps. The next chapter is coming soon so you won't have to reread it again next chapter I hope.

Sampdoria: I made you wait a long time again, but the next time won't be near that I swear. I'm working very hard now. I kind of work in lurches and jumps, but I've been going steady for a few days with at least a couple hours on this story.

Wow, that was a lot of reviews. Thank you all so much. You don't know how much your feedback means to me. I'm exhausted! Quick question. Has anyone out there taken the AZVAB before? If so please review so or Private Message me! I'm just curious about the format a bit. Any tips?


	15. A Different View

I'm sorry not to have this up. I thought I'd already uploaded it, but apparently not. I felt like I was stepping a bit out my comfort zone with Severus' POV, because I've become so comfortable with Hermione's POV in all my writing, but I think I did him justice. This chapter... like the last one, suffers a bit from lack of polish, but I figured that you could all use a bit more. If I were you, I'd be very mad at me for not putting this up sooner, but I hope you enjoy this chapter and I would really love feedback. I will respond to reviews in my next chapter, which is very much in-progress.

PS I'll officially be in the National Guard in four days! Yay me! That means when Walmart pisses me off next I can just say... "Well alright. I quit." It's great having that kind of power. Those of that have condescended to read my author notes regarding my mundane life know that I was kicked out of my house this summer and now go to college with my own meager Walmart savings. The guard's going to help with that a lot. (I'm on good terms with my dad again btw) Anyways... though I'm sure none of you have read this due to your excitement to take in another unpolished chapter, thanks for listening to my tidbits about me

Snape shifted his weight quickly, catching the small girl as she collapsed. Her wand clattered to the ground and he could only stare down at her, covered in blood, in his blood. He had been dead. He could have sworn that he was dead. Her voice had been there, but he'd been dying and then there had been nothing. There was no way she'd gotten to him in time. He placed a hand to her cheek, pushing a lock of her hair back from her face. She was cold, shivering in fact. His eyes widened at the strange lack of... something. He had touched Hermione Granger before and it was nothing like this. The last time he'd accidentally brushed her hand at the potions table, her skin had practically buzzed with magic. It usually filled the air around her, intoxicating anyone nearby with it's raw power. Now, there was- nothing.

There were footsteps in the hallway, but they were headed the opposite direction. His eyes found the box and they widened. How had she gotten her hands on one of those? He didn't let the question linger for long. He gathered her up closer to him to give him use of one hand. He closed the box, muttering something then opening it once more. He forced it down her throat before laying her down. Her performed a fast bombarda on the hole in the wall to widen it and scooped her up running through the wall and up towards the hospital wing.

He didn't know why he had to help her now, but it only felt right. She'd just saved his life and might well have killed herself in the process of doing so. He checked her breathing and after a moment realized she'd performed a synchronization spell. So his heart hadn't stopped, but it had been close to. Or had it stopped? Was she that insane? She must be if she had saved him. He listened closely. Her heart beat as his did, her breaths came with his. He could even feel the pull of her rhythm trying to affect his own. He continued, ignoring the people shouting her name in the darkness, her friends no doubt. His clothes were heavy with blood.

When he saw the hospital wing up ahead he stopped. His mind whirled. What was he doing? He was being so stupid, but he couldn't let her die. He might be a bastard, but he was a better bastard than that. He couldn't fix this though, couldn't take back what she'd done. Only a very powerful wizard could reverse what had happened, or a few powerful wizards. She would die and it would be his fault. He wouldn't let that happen. He swallowed hard, cursing to himself as he propelled himself forward.

He fought against all his intincts yelling at him that he shouldn't be in the hospital wing, that he should be hiding. He had to keep the truth hidden, but he couldn't leave her. He knew the theory between reversing magical depletion but it was extremely advanced magic. "Pomfrey!" he shouted as he entered the hospital wing, not giving himself the chance to the think twice. He shouted once more, ignoring his own vague pain and concentrating on her completely as he laid her against the white sheets carefully. She was so pale, so weak. She could lose her magic permanently if he didn't do something now. After a moment he growled, running for her office. He threw the door open with an alohamora and began pounding on the frame of the portrait against the back wall. The portrait's occupants jolted away with furious cries, but he didn't care. "POMFREY!" he hollered. The portrait was flung open to reveal the young woman in a long night-gown and cap looking very out of sorts.

"Do you have any idea what time-" her voice tapered off when she noticed all the blood on him. She immediately reached for him to examine him, but he ran from the room, needing to get the healer to Hermione quickly. The only reason she was still alive was the synchronization spell, which was still slowly draining her magic, he was sure. Magic depletion could even go beyond taking away a wizards power. It could be lethal if not treated quickly.

"What happened?"

"She healed me," he said, simply. "She used too much magic."

Horror filled the woman's blue eyes. She drew her wand and immediately began the diagnostic tests. "Floo the headmaster immediately, go!" she ordered, pushing him towards the fireplace. Snape hesitated. He couldn't do that. Dumbledore would know, he would bloody know! "Mr. Snape if you don't want her to die, you will get Dumbledore down here now!"

Snape's feet took him to the fireplace unwillingly. All he could think was... "Fuck". He grabbed a handful of floo and threw it into the fire, stepping in, "Headmaster's Office," he said stiffly. He whirled for a while while the wards cleared him and then was dropped out in the headmaster's office.

"Headmaster, you're needed in the hospital wing. It's Hermione Granger," he said, dully. He kept all emotion from his voice and kept his mind protected just in case, not even raising his eyes to meet the old man's. He found he was only partially surprised to find Dumbledore awake and aware sitting at his desk and looking shocked at the sight of him standing in his office, clothes literally soaked with blood. Snape wanted to hex him for being so slow to react, but rise he did and he made his way swiftly past Snape.

"You will follow," he said, in a hard tone before going into the fire and through to the Hospital wing. Snape wondered at his chances of running now, of leaving Hogwarts and never returning. He would be on the ministry's list by morning if he did that though so he followed, mind whirling with possibilities. He could come up with a flimsy excuse that Dumbledore wouldn't believe but would excuse, but it was hard to think of one right away.

The second he was out of the flame he was grabbed by the robes and slammed against the wall with almost terrifying force. He winced at the sharp pain from his head hitting stone, opening his eyes, surprised to see that it was Lupin. He would never have suspected that the werewolf had had that strength in him. "What the hell did you do to her!?" he roared. Snape had never felt the urge to shrink away from a marauder so strongly before. Lupin, who was usually so tame and calm was in that moment almost as terrifying as the dark lord himself.

"Remus, stop!" Pettigrew called and a moment later, Pettigrew and Black were tearing him away and looked to be having a hard time doing it.

"I didn't hurt her," Snape said, his voice coming out like a growl. He wanted to get out of these clothes more than ever, not because of the blood but because he had touched him. How dare he? "I'm not like you Lupin." He let all the derision he could grasp saturate his tone. No one was violent towards their girlfriend in the middle of an open hallway at Hogwarts without the whole school knowing about it within a few hours.

Lupin let out a roar of anger and lunged for him, but a stunner struck him in the back before he could reach the dark-haired boy. Snape watched him fall with loathing. The whole school skated around Lupin these days, sending him nasty looks. Some even would send hexes at him in the hallways. They had all heard how he treated Hermione, yanking her about, hurting her. Some rumors went as far as him striking her. The thought had enraged Snape when he'd first heard. Now though it made him want to tear the monster apart piece by piece. How could he hurt such a selfless, beautiful girl.

Snape didn't have time to react to the prone Lupin, not even to see who had stunned him, because a fist smashed into his nose before he even had a chance to look around. He hit the ground, nose bleeding, groaning in pain. He was able to see through the blood to look up at Sirius Black who was seething above him. "You don't know anything about Remus and you don't know shit about Hermione. Get the hell out of here," he growled.

"He can't do that, Sirius," a frustrated voice said from behind Black. Snape looked up and his eyes narrowed when they met James Potter's. There was only hatred was between them. Lily would be an obstacle neither could get over, even if they had liked each other in the first place. No, they would hate each other forever.

"He linked their heart rhythm and breathing, Mr. Black, and it's keeping her alive right now," Dumbledore said, his eyes dark with anger that Snape was shocked to see was directed fully at Black. "You will help Mr. Snape to his feet and then proceed to your dormitory after which you will enjoy a months worth of detentions. We will discuss it further in the morning."

"Don't touch me," Snape growled when Black reached down to him, furious at the thought that he would ever need that blood-traitor's help to his feet. Black shook with anger and stormed out as Snape pulled himself to his feet, standing steady for which he was grateful. He didn't want to seem weak in this crowd, especially after he'd already been punched in the face tonight, almost died, and was standing there covered in his own blood. Pomphrey fixed his nose with a swift flick of her wrist and a sharp wave of her wand. He moved to Dumbledore's side when he was beckoned.

"What spell did you use to anchor her?" Pomfrey questioned. Snape stared at Dumbledore's hand, one over Hermione's heart, the other upon her forehead.

"I didn't perform the spell," Snape said. "I think I died and she got my heart beating with it. I'm fairly certain my body had completely shut down."

"How is she still sustaining it?" Pomphrey gasped, looking to Dumbledore.

Snape glanced over at Pettigrew who had gone to Lupin's side and was performing a quick enervate to the back of his head. Lupin jerked into a sitting position, confused, and rubbing the painful bruise on his forehead where it had hit the ground. He looked around dizzily before he caught sight of Snape again, and his fists clenched. Snape pulled off his most powerful sneer for the repulsive waste of space and oxygen "Unless you want a week of detention, you'd better leave it," Pettigrew hissed to him. Snape watched Lupin's head jerk in a nod, but the way Lupin was looking at him, Snape thought he might transform right there and go straight for his throat.

"Mr. Lupin, she can feed off of your aura more than mine, come take my position," Dumbledore instructed. Snape watched how Lupin left to his feet agilely, spinning to practically sprint across the room. Snape swallowed down the growl as the werewolf shouldered past him and then the golden boy Potter to get to Dumbledore as quickly as possible. He hovered his hands over where Dumbledore had his and the moment the old headmaster pulled away, replaced his hands when they'd been on her forehead and chest.

"Why-" Snape began, not understanding how it would be easier for Hermione to feed off the werewolf's magic more than the wizened headmaster.

"Less questions, Snape. You're only still here because of the synchronization spell," Potter spat out gruffly as he held the stasis spell over Hermione, while Madame Pomfrey worked her own complicated magic to keep Hermione alive. Rage built up inside of Snape so powerful he thought he might curse him right there, but the headmaster was still in the room.

Dumbledore didn't rebuff Potter which actually surprised Snape at least for a few moments until he realized that he already knew that this wasn't where he belonged. Without Hermione's depletion and his stasis spell, he would be locked up in some room awaiting some serious interrogation. They all blamed in and hell he blamed himself. She shouldn't be like this right now. Snape growled. What had he gotten himself into. Why had she saved him? It would have been simpler for him, much easier if she'd just let him go. They weren't even friends really! What would compell her to risk her life for his? He was worthless, less than nothing and she was... she was so much better.

"Her arm. That's her own blood," Lupin said simply. Snape's stomach turned over. The idea of Lupin... smelling her and sorting out his own blood from hers was disgusting to him. Dumbledore looked to Madame Pomfrey who nodded and looked it over, and healing the cut with a complicated stitching spell.

Snape stepped back slightly to look at the scene as a whole. Pettigrew stayed off to the side, as if completely understanding that that was his place. Snape had never taken Pettigrew for the observant type or the intelligent type, but the weasle-like boy knew he was the support, that he was the backup and it occurred to Snape that it had always been that way. Pettigrew had always followed that perception, had always been on the outside, clinging to the center as much as possible, but never fully one with the core. Potter seemed to know exactly what to do in the midst of the healing process, chanting in a calm, even tone, saying spells Snape had never heard of. Dumbledore was muttering a string of complicated and seemingly random latin words that were jumbled together in a way that could only mean they were spells. The wise old headmaster would pause to think only a moment before trying another. Even Lupin seemed to know his place in the strange setting, his eyes closed in concentration, performing some kind of magic clearly, though it was nothing Snape could comprehend. They all fit there easily and Madame Pomfrey fluttered about the whole lot of them with ease, fetching potions and casting charms. What was he in the face of this?

Remus Lupin was one person in Gryffindor that Snape had before had no true reason to scorn. His personality was passive and Snape had seen him as weak until perhaps this year, but he wasn't one to be walked all over for just anyone. He was constant, clever, and book-smart. The two of them could have certainly been friends had the sandy-haired boy been sorted into Slytherin seven years ago. His whole way of looking at Lupin had changed when he had faced his werewolf that fateful night, but with that newfound disgust and hatred hadn't come true the full shattering of his good character in Snape's eyes.

When he had heard about Lupin's treatment of Hermione, he had wanted to murder the monster, to tear him limb for limb and set the pieces aflame. Anything good about Lupin that he'd thought had washed away to nothingness. Now though, looking upon Lupin he couldn't see that version of him anymore. He looked at Hermione with all the desperate longing and love that Snape tried to keep off his face every moment he spent in the same room with one Lily Evans. Lupin's eyes were not those of a guy who would ever strike the person he loved. He was not the type of person that could ever hurt the frail girl he now looked upon.

Snape stepped back further from the group, dropping upon the edge of the bed fully exhausted. He felt extremely out of place here, staring at the thin ashen-faced girl lying against those white sheets that contrasted so starkly with the dark cloth of her bloodsoaked robes leaving red on anything it touched. The small girl looked very near dead. He could feel how close she was at the way his heart tried to speed, his breathing was becoming more and more difficult. Unlike him though, she had all these people working around her to make sure that she wouldn't die, that she would awaken, something that was incomprehensible to him. These people all worked to save her... Bloody hell she'd almost killed herself to save him of all people when all the Dark Lord gave to his followers...

Snape paused, for once really listening to his own thoughts. "Followers." It clicked into place in an instant. Dumbledore had been the center of the defense against the Dark Lord before, but now... now she must share it with him if she had not simply taken the responsibility fully upon herself. For some reason, this girl was the key to this order that "didn't exist. She was their heartbeat, their lifeline and if the lost her, they'd fall apart. It made sense after all then. Their ability to counter the death eater plans had started right around the time that she had come around. Plans fell through, death raids were compromised and failed, and a revel had even been broken up.

What terrified him was that he... unworthy as he was, he knew this. He was a danger to her, more so than Lupin or Black ever would be. He could get her killed so easily with a simple slip of his mind, any unguarded moment. His stomach churned and he felt like he was going to throw up. What if he did mess up? He felt so powerless in that moment as he realized that that was the one thing he didn't want to do. He didn't want her to be hurt, to die and yet he was the weakest link to her. What would he do? He thought for a moment about confessing the whole thing right then, but knew that he couldn't. What if someone else found out about this? What if someone inside the death eater ranks realized what he had? He would have to save her if that happened and it wasn't even because he now owed him his life, but because he simply felt this overwhelming need to keep her safe.

Snape stared at Hermione, wondering how such a small person could carry such a load. Was she truly as amazing as she seemed in this moment? Was she as strong as he now believed? He didn't get a chance to ponder that for long when he saw her fingers doing what looked like vibrating. He moved without thinking, getting himself across the room and knocking Lupin aside. Two wands were stabbing into him in a split-second but he didn't care. "It was too much magic. It was harming her," he said, swiftly, his eyes shooting to Dumbledore.

"James," Lupin growled, breath hot in his face. Dumbledore had paused and was looking her over closely.

"I think he's right," Potter muttered.

"Thank you Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said. Lupin simply dropped his grasp, his wand falling away. The wand stabbing him directly between the shoulder blades eased as well as Pettigrew backed away.

"I think that is all we can do for now," Dumbledore told them, glancing at Madame Pomfrey who finished pouring another potion down Hermione's poor throat. That look was back in Lupin's eyes as he returned to her side, brushing her hair from her face as she sputtered slightly, shuddering before settling. "Once she awakens be certain she drinks her potion and have her lower the synchronization spell."

Dumbledore was out the door quickly. Snape knew he wasn't to leave the room until she was out of danger. He didn't want to leave the room until he knew she'd be all right. He wasn't about to sleep in the presence of marauders though. "Mr. Lupin. I've been told of your special circumstances with Miss Granger. In light of that I will allow you to stay overnight, bu the two of you are to leave," Madame Pomfrey said tiredly to Pettigrew and Potter. They both agreed without argument. Potter whispered something to Lupin before walking out to which Lupin nodded tiredly as he sunk into a chair Pettigrew had dragged across the floor to him, his hand never leaving his girl's forehead.

"Mr. Snape, Mr. Lupin, you are not to speak to each other this entire night. It would be good for the both of you to get some rest. You will have long days ahead of you," Pomfrey's eyes lingered on Snape for a moment too long and he had to resist the urge to growl.

There was a long silence after the nurse disappeared and Snape had just settled for it to continue when Hermione's breathing became something more. "Severus," she whimpered pathetically. Lupin stiffened and Snape stared at her in shock. What kind of dream was she having. She rolled towards Lupin, and he brushed her hair from her face. He didn't seem too worried that his girlfriend was saying another guy's name in her sleep and Snape realized why soon after as another name came from her lips, "Harry please-" The rest of her words were muffled but Snape's eyes shifted to Lupin who glanced up at him, completely unfazed.

"He was her best friend back in Australia," Lupin explained, turning his eyes back down to Hermione. He concentrated on her pale face never losing phiscal contact with her. While one of his hands gripped both of her own, the other stroked her hair tenderly. Snape felt a pang of jealousy. She had risked her life for him, would she risk it for Lupin as well? The rational side of his mind said yes of course she bloody would, but he didn't want to listen to it. She had just said his name in her sleep for christ sake!

He moved as if to go to her other side, but rethought that quickly. Hermione suddenly let lose a pitiful whimper. She turned onto her back and Snape could fully take in her troubled expression. Her forehead was creased tightly and her mouth was set in a terrified grimace. Snape was further stunned to witness Lupin's next move. He stood with a tired sigh and turned his back on Snape to walk around the bed. He removed his shoes and got fully onto the bed, stretching out and turning towards her. He wrapped an arm around her and she instantly relaxed turning into him with a strangely relieved sigh.

"What do you think you're doing?" Snape demanded after the few moments it took for it to sink in.

"It's not your business, Snape. Your job here is to keep your heart beating and if you keep talking it might become difficult for me to not work against that endeavor," Lupin said, smoothly. Snape blinked. Lupin had seriously grown since Hermione came along. He had never been anywhere near this independent before, but he seemed to have found some sort of self in finding her. The boost in his confidence seemed to go futher than the confidence gained by just any conquest of the opposite sex. He was an entirely new and dangerous person, someone Snape would have to steer clear of, well if he had a life still after the next few days.

He sighed, deciding to leave that until his mind was less clouded. He couldn't simply leave the Death Eaters. Sure, they'd killed him technically, but it hadn't been on His order. Perhaps there would be a punishment for his torturers. Snape became a bit sick with himself as he realized that that brought some semblance of pleasure to him. Had he sunk so low in the few months that he'd been with them? How could he continue knowing what they would do, what they could do? How could he not continue though, with Hermione in such serious danger. It was truly a very dangerous situation. A simple slip-up could result in a death sentence depending on whether or not the Dark Lord had been caught in a good mood and his moods only got worse and worse these days as they continued to encounter obstacles at every turn.

He was startled from his thoughts as his breaths shortened. He tried to force them to even out but it was difficult when the magic was coming from her to him rather than the opposite. She was gasping for air and when he looked towards Lupin he could see her shaking in his arms. He listened hard and could hear her small voice whispering "Remus," in a terrified, anguished tone. Snape had never heard so much pain infused in one word in his entire life. She was crying, had been crying, but for how long? Was she concious?

"Hermione, it's not real. Wake up; I'm right here," the werewolf was whispering back and Snape felt like he was intruding in a very private moment. As if to reinforce that, the sound of her short breathing no longer filled the room and the voices disappeared entirely, replaced with an irritating buzzing. Snape watched Lupin tuck away his wand before turning his full attention to the girl in his arms, pressing his forehead to hers as his mouth continued to move.

Snape forced his eyes straight forward, irritated that he'd been interested at all. The pressure on his breathing slowly eased and he was fairly certain she was waking up. He stood, walking decidedly from the room without a word. The spell would be ended in a few moments and he didn't need to stick around to wait for it. He had more important things to think about than the werewolf and his foolish, selfless, frustrating, and captivating girlfriend.

"He doesn't deserve her," Snape muttered to himself as he descended the first set of stairs towards the dungeons. He'd show her what she really deserved. He did owe her a wizard's debt and, as the last of the Prince line, he must repay his debt. He had no choice.

"Hermione, it's all right," Remus whispered, and Hermione was vaguely aware of reality only a few inches away, but she couldn't let go.

She stared at him as doors were being smashed in throughout the building. The raid was beginning, but she couldn't move. She clutched herself to him, trying to get out of Severus' grasp. He couldn't do this. He couldn't take her away. She was nothing. She was nothing without her love. Why was this happening? What else would fate take from her? God, Remus had to know that she couldn't do it without him. He had to understand. She stared into his eyes, but he shook his head. She sobbed, reaching for her wand to make Severus leave, to make him leave her with Remus, but her wand was gone. She wanted to die with him. It was only right. She'd die without him anyways. Of that she was certain.

"Severus," Remus said, softly. His voice was so hoarse, so weak. She dissolved into hysterical tears once more and then there was a much stronger arm around her waist. She was being dragged away, sobbing and fighting like the devil to get back to him.

"I love you, Hermione. I'm sorry," his voice said as he slackened, his eyes sliding closed.

"No!" she screamed. "No Remus! Open your eyes. Let me go Severus! Let me go with him! No, don't leave me!" Her sobs and screams echoed in the room and the voices were coming closer.

"ENERVATE!" a voice said sharply and her eyes shot open to see Remus, eyes very much alive. His warmth and magic surrounded her. She choked on a sob and pulled back for a split-second only to press her face against his neck, breathing in his scent with deep gasps. Her hands clawed at the back of his robes pitifully, tryig to get a good grip on him, trying to pull him closer, to hold him to her as if he would simply fade into nothing. There was so much pain! Her whole body felt like it was on fire like every single cell was alight with it. She closed her eyes tightly against the physical and emotional pain ravaging her body.

"I'm right here," he assured her softly. "I'm not going anywhere ever again."

"Don't... don't say that. You can't say that, Remus, because- because if you're around me you'll always be in danger. People die around me. The all go away," she whimpered, believing every word. It hurt so much to think it in so many words, but she did. She believed it all. How many people had died because of her... Severus had almost...

"Severus. I didn't finish. Is- is he okay? Please tell me he didn't-"

"No he didn't die, but you nearly did," Remus said gruffly. Hermione knew he wasn't happy, but she didn't care. She had saved Severus. She pulled herself as close to Remus as she could, her cheek against his neck, still breathing him in deeply. His magic was flowing over her in a way that eased the pain slightly. She knew that she was feeding off it because she knew why she had passed out. She knew the cause of the pain and also knew that he was angry. She wasn't confused about anything really in this situation. It wasn't hard to read his anger at all so his next words didn't surprise her.

"Magical depletion is not something you mess with, Hermione," he said, seriously. "Promise me you won't do something like that again, at least this close to the moon."

"I-I can't," she said. His growl made her jump slightly and he tried to pull away from her, but she held on tighter fearing the loss of him more than the return of the pain. He was stronger than her, but she was more determined and he didn't want to hurt her so he stopped pulling away after a moment. He was still stiff beside her. "I'm sorry Remus."

"Remove the syncing spell. Snape-" he looked up slightly frowning with confusion. "He's gone, but he's still connected to you."

"What? How?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, and I honestly don't care very much right now. I want you to remove it **now**," he said, pressing his wand into her hand behind him. Hermione whispered the spell and felt her heartbeat quicken slightly and her breathing become just a bit more erratic. The sharp pain from the counter-spell was over in a few moments and Remus began to speak just as soon as she relaxed a bit.

"You could die performing that spell on someone who wasn't breathing, whose heart had stopped. I'm not sure I want to know if you understand that, because I'm pretty sure you do," he said.

"I didn't think," Hermione lied. The thought had occurred to her. She'd just batted it aside without going over the risks fully.

"And you wouldn't have done it if you had realized?" Remus said, looking a bit disgusted that he already knew the answer to that. Hermione didn't respond though. She knew he didn't want to hear the answer. She knew that it would only upset him. Their breathing was the only thing that filled the silence for a long while.

"You know how you felt when you lost... me?" Remus asked, knowing she would understand the question. She nodded, whimpering at the memory that had been freshly renewed.

"I need you to understand that I would feel that way if you left me," his voice cracked slightly and Hermione froze for a moment, her tears flowing once more. She turned her face to kiss his neck softly then a second time and he pulled back sharply crushing his lips to hers. She returned it fiercely, pulling herself as close as she could possibly get. She had never felt this connected to him, not since she'd come to this time. This was what she felt with him in the future. This was... more than she could have ever hoped. He was Remus, in all sense of the name. He might not remember their past, but he was the same person and the break couldn't ever be as defined as it had before.

He pulled back first, pressing his forehead to hers and brushing away her tears with his thumb and staring into her eyes as they both caught their breath. Hermione winced at even that small exertion and Remus chuckled, pulling her closer and burying his face in her hair. "Go to sleep Hermione," he ordered. Hermione didn't argue, allowing herself to drift off into sleep, this time no nightmares haunted her. She simply... slept.

There you are. I have my direction chapter written, but that's about two chapters ahead so I'm not working dilligently on my next chapter. Please be patient. If you're an anonymous reader leave your email and I will email you when I get another chapter up... all right? (You can PM me if you don't want it on the review page.

Thanks again!

Kate


	16. A Great Betrayal

High time for a new chapter? Not sure I have any followers any more, but I felt like getting the ball rolling once more… Weird huh? After over three years.

I hope you enjoy it

Wallowing was something Hermione was good at. She'd done it a large majority of her life. She even got so good at it that she was even able to multitask with it. She'd learned to do wallow while studying, to wallow while running and hiding out, and to wallow even while fighting. She'd been stuck in the past and she knew that. She also knew just how exhausting it had to be for the people who cared about her. Drawing a deep breath of brisk cool air, Hermione finally felt at peace. It was funny that she would find her peace after her nearest brush with death yet.

Remus hadn't really talked to her in a few days. Despite his initial relief with her… well being alive, he'd been fighting to not glare at her since. Sure the night after that little issue, their wolves had not acted any differently, but they'd both found it in them to control themselves. Hermione, even as exhausted as she'd been, hadn't given in to her instincts, instead allowing the room of requirement to entertain her with a beautiful starry night in the confines of a small room, nothing like the prisons she'd been in of course, but confined and comfortable at the same time.

Days had passed and still Remus hardly looked at her, but Hermione knew him better than he was ready for. That twitch beside his eye, the hardly-stiff set to his shoulders which meant he was even more angry than if he were rigid, but that he was trying to keep it secret. She found it didn't bother her though. He loved her now. She knew that and in time he would as well.

Severus… now those looks were difficult to decipher. She'd known him just as long, a bit longer actually, but had only truly gotten to know him out there… on the run. Severus was good at not giving anything away. There were no little tricks to figure out what was going on in his head.

"Um Hermione?" a voice said behind Hermione. She turned her head, lazily and smiled at Sirius. He was giving her a critical look. "Why are you sitting with your feet in that water. It must be freezing," Sirius said.

"I'm healing," she responded.

"What?" he frowned.

"It's magical manipulation. What is wrong with me isn't my physical body, though as a witch my physical body is unused to working without the intricate weavings of magic through my every fiber. The main problem is how I've depleted my magic," she said.

"Which is absolutely crazy," Sirius pointed out.

"Be that as it may, once you live long enough on the run, you learn to pull from the world around you, looking to sources of energy wizards don't often think to draw from anymore," she said.

Sirius frowned in thought for a moment, looking at the rippling water. "Sorcery?" he said quietly after a moment. He tensed as he said it.

"A form," she said, evasively. "Is it the word that causes your reaction?" she asked, curiously. That word was now taboo in the wizarding world. Too many sorcerers had overstepped the line between sharing power with the earth and taking power from the earth. Oftentimes that level of magic overwhelmed and headed straight towards a high that led them to continue pushing for more and more until they were bringing in not only the good magic's, but the bad and it inevitably led to dark magic. That was history's version of how Sorcery usually ended up, but in reality, it was much calmer, kinder. Only if one let the magic take over, was there a problem.

Sirius thought for a moment, before nodding. "I think so," he agreed softly.

"Magical theory is not what people should fear," she said, somewhat sadly. He watched her curiously as her face fell. "It is the evil behind people's intentions that leads to the evil that drives us all, evil that is present in everything. Balance between good and evil is essential. There is no way to eradicate the bad, not completely."

"The duality of the human spirit," Sirius said. She glanced back at him with a small look of surprise. "What? You think I can't be insightful?" he teased.

"It's just… magical theory often uses the spirit to refer to the essence of a wizard's power, his magical core is his spirit," she said.

"So I've read a book and this is what? It is surprising to you?" he drew the conclusion that she wasn't going to say allowed. She laughed weakly. Even talking so freely was taxing on her, days after the incident as well as the full moon.

"You done playing Sorceress Hermione then? You should probably get back to the Hospital Wing. Madame Pomfrey won't be too ple-" Sirius paused. "I never thought I would say that," he commented with a small smile.

"You do sound much like Lily," she teased, but began putting her socks and shoes back on, feeling a chill go through her. Even the middle of the day it was only about 50 degrees out and she'd never gotten around to that warming charm. Sirius smiled, going to help her up. His took both her hands, pulling her easily to her feet.

"Remus still ignoring you?" he asked conversationally. She chuckled.

"I've learned over the years that he's much easier to avoid when he'd determined to ignore me… It tends to be counterproductive when people push because of that temper of his," she replied.

"James found that one out in a difficult time, before we knew about the whole 'wolfy-persuasion'. He ended up on his ass in the middle of the great hall," Sirius said.

"What exactly did he do?"

"He sort of set Peeves on Lily," Sirius admitted sheepishly.

"Nobody's somebody unless they've suffered a full day of Peeves' harassment," Hermione smiled, shaking her head. She slid her hands into her pockets and glanced up at Sirius who was smiling at her in return, but it faded and he took on a more grim expression.

"What is it?" she asked, sighing because she was pretty sure she wasn't going to like this one.

"Are you going to talk about what you almost did?" he asked. Hermione caught on that word… almost. She thought for a long moment, continuing towards the front door of Hogwarts, Sirius staying steadily beside her, eyes bearing into her piercing and serious.

"While I'm sure it's the last thing you want to do, I'd be much more apt to talk about what I did do," she said.

"And that is?" Sirius prodded.

"Save a man I care a great deal for, a man I would gladly die to protect. NOT that that was my intention!" she added quickly when Sirius' brow furrowed and his fists clenched. Still he stepped in front of her, turning on her sharply.

"Whoever you knew, that is not Snape. I know I never gave him a fair shake. I cannot stand to be in the same bloody room with the wanker, but I'm not the only one and neither is James. Hell, even Remus hates the bastard!" Sirius hissed.

"Don't talk about things you don't understand," she said, shaking her head.

"I thought we agreed that who everyone is in the future isn't who they are now. I thought you accepted that."

"I have, but Severus was, is, and will be the bravest man I know. He may not seem like much to you now, but I believe in him. I have faith that he will become the man he is meant to be," she said steadily. Her words were decisive. She didn't want to give Sirius any reason to doubt her. "He will not die because of my interference here."

"You can't save everyone. What if it comes down to us and him… one of us… a all of us… What if you have to choose?" Sirius asked. It was a strange question, not the idea of the marauders versus Severus. That was a day to day reality. It was the heavy weight behind it and the realization that she had never thought about that not because she didn't think it could happen, but because she herself was scared of the answer.

Hermione blinked, able to hear her own screams in her head as she tried to fight his strong, warm grasp, the smell of herbs washing over her tinted with the smell of salty tears… and not just her own. Severus had been crying as well. He'd never really hated Remus. He'd not been fond of him for many years, but they'd become friends to a point these past months. Their likeminded goals ensured that. She remembered Severus holding onto her when she would scream, when Ginny's thin, fragile arms so unlike Remus' were unable to still her writhing body when she was in a fit of nightmares.

"I will not choose," she said solidly. "I refuse to choose one friend over the other especially when Severus is so much more than just that. You have no idea what it is like Sirius and I pray to Merlin you never do." She placed a hand on Sirius' shoulder, before stepping decidedly around him and walking towards the door.

There were a few long moments which the marauder probably took to control his rage before he turned. "Your potion worked!" he called after her. She glanced back.

"I figured as much or you'd probably be dead by now!" she returned. He snorted and she smiled slightly, continuing into the castle. She wouldn't go to the Hospital Wing like she should, but it was probably better that she was inside… in case something did happen. She was still weak and relapse following magical depletion was not totally uncommon not that it had been studied much with werewolves.

Without thinking about where she was planning to go, she ended up in the library. It wasn't exactly surprising. She made her way through the stacks, locating the old and worn copy of Hogwarts a History into which Hogwarts Headmasters could scribe a continuing history. There was nothing like reading from this ancient tomb. The last two volumes were much more delicate but it was just about time for a new one to be started. This one was nearly she hefted it up, she took a step towards a nearby table and realized quickly that she shouldn't have picked it up on her own. She let out a small cry as it began to slip from her hands. She was fully prepared to go down with it, when one arm wrapped around it and another around her waist and soon she was standing straight up, the book safe in the grasp of this other person.

"Thank you," she breathed a sigh of relief, looking up at her savior. Of course. Remus quickly took the book from her with a sigh, carrying it to the nearest table and setting it down lightly as she leaned against the stacks where she'd gotten it. She was tired and didn't care that Remus saw.

"Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing about now?" he asked, glancing at his watch as he returned to stand before her eying her seriously. She smiled and shrugged.

"What are you going to do about it?" she asked. He rolled his eyes, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her towards him. She leaned on him a bit as he led her to the table. "My hero," she said dramatically before sitting down heavily.

"Not usually one to play the damsel in distress," he said.

"Only with you," she said, running her hands over the ancient cover as if Remus didn't even exist.

"It's also not like you to read something other than a textbook or a potions manual," he said.

"Not like me?" she repeated. The frizzy-haired academic smiled tenderly at the book, opening it to the first page and looking up at him, beginning to recite word for word the table of contents, era by era, event by event, finishing in the appointment of Albus Dumbledore as Headmaster which was a rather unfinished chapter in this version. "I cannot tell you how many times I read Hogwarts a History, how many times I read all the Histories… It's not easy being born into one world, but belonging to another, but I knew… you know when you know?" she asked. She was sure it didn't make sense, but Remus simply stared down at her, sitting down beside her. She shook her head, looking up at him.

"It's like a glimpse at someone else," he said. "How much do I not know?"

"You know what you need to know, Remus," she said.

"What you want me to know," Remus said.

"You know that I care about you you," she said in a simple, light tone. "I can't be truly bothered by anything else as long as you know that I do."

"Hermione, I can't just be okay with you nearly killing yourself for him," Remus said tiredly. She looked up at him, her warm gaze meeting his troubled eyes.

"It was not my intention to do so, but I would do it again for anyone I care about," she said. "The thing you don't seem to understand is that no matter how many friends I make, no matter how comfortable I get, I will always be out of time. I'm always going to be born again in a few years. My only hope is to give that little girl a chance to grow up in a world without Voldemort, a world where she won't have to be scared."

Remus let out an irritated growl. "Hermione! We don't know that little girl. We know you. I know you and I CANNOT lose you!" he exclaimed. There was an immediately reproach from the librarian, but Remus barely noticed. Hermione nodded to her and once her attention was averted the girl reached out, taking hold of Remus' hand, but he jerked it away. She gave him an irritated look, reaching further and taking a firmer grasp on his hand.

"Remus-"

"No, I get what you're doing. You are trying to make yourself into a memory, but I WON'T be okay just knowing that you cared about me. I won't be okay if I have to remember anything because you aren't beside me. You came in and you made me feel these feelings. You don't get to take yourself away after something like that," Remus scolded her seriously.

"You think I want to die?" she said, soberly. "That is a strange idea. I would not have gotten through the things I did in the past, if I did not want to live," she told him. He relaxed only slightly, but she wasn't done. She pulled her chair around the corner of the table, taking hold of both his hands and gripping them tightly in between them.

"The point is… your lives… you are all more important… If I die that is the end of this chance, but I will live again. You, Severus, James… you all don't get any second chances. Not like this," she said. "Remus… I care about you and I will not abandon you if I can help it." Remus winced and she thought it was her words, but then there was a ripple in the magic surrounding him. She looked up and met his gaze and suddenly magic surged up around them. She could feel it and she recognized this kind of magic. She couldn't move. She was frozen.

"Remus let go," she warned, but he wasn't listening to her. He was staring down at their hands, transfixed. "Remus!" she exclaimed. She could hear commotion behind her and knew the library was trying to get to them, but there was a barrier up around them. The magic began to take on color. She was absolutely helpless and he had no clue what was…

His eyes bore into hers and she gasped as suddenly the magic surged forward into her, through her, around her. She stared at him and realized… he needed mystic topaz for this. He knew what he was doing. He planned this and he'd paralyzed her to accomplish it. The first time this happened, she'd been fully in control of her actions. When it was done, she ripped her hands from his, propelling herself back so quickly that her chair tipped back and sent her sprawling on the floor. Remus reached out to her, but she slapped his hand aside. There was a crowd around them. She looked at his fingers, but there was nothing there. She searched more and found it, a gem hanging from around his neck on a silver chain.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" she shouted, not caring for an instant that she was in the library.

"Hermione, what is it?" a voice said behind her: one of many gawkers. She didn't respond, looking down at her hand. Her magic was recovered. Her body was as well. She stood firmly, looking down at her hand for a moment. It was shaking, her ring still glowing back at her. She reached up, ripping it from her finger. She steeled herself for the pain in time, but Remus didn't know to expect the sharp pain that shot through both their bodies as her intent mixed with her actual action. She held the ring for only a moment before shaking her head and reaching forward to the cringing Remus and yanking the chain on his neck. He cried out in pain.

"Never… NEVER… mess with magic that you don't BLOODY WELL understand!" she shouted at him, turning and storming away, ignoring the loss of points, ignoring the whispers, ignoring Remus and his moan of pain. His necklace practically burned her hand. She put her ring back on, but he would not get this back.

That was it. He didn't need her consent because she'd consented once already. He was so jealous that he was willing to tie himself to a girl he still hardly knew for the rest of his life. Magical bonds… difficult to break if not impossible. How dare he do that without her permission? Her rage was so near to a boiling point and was so obvious that not one person said a word to her the entire walk up towards Gryffindor Tower.

"Hermione?" James said quickly when she entered the common room. He stood, seeing her distress immediately even from across the room with Peter. She stopped, turning to him. "What is it?" he asked, standing before her in moments.

"I swear to Merlin James if you had anything and I seriously mean ANYTHING to do with this I will immediately request a new sponsor and I will probably never talk to you again," she growled, waving the necklace at him. He stared at it, frowning.

"Mystic Topaz?" he murmured, cocking his head to the side. "What's that for?"

"He bound himself to me! He rebound me James and apparently since I've been bound once I don't have that small issue of consent!" she exclaimed, not caring who heard. It wouldn't make sense to any of them anyways. The portrait-hole opened behind her and she stepped aside, her wand already in her hand and lifting in case it was Remus. She would hex him into the next month.

"Woah! Woah!" Sirius shouted, ducking under where her wand was directed and dancing aside.

"Did you know?" she demanded, throwing the necklace at his chest. He didn't recover fast enough to catch hold of it.

"Someone's got their magic back. How'd that happen?"

"How indeed!" she shouted. "Maybe the two of you can work that out and then get back to me. If the answer is 'so no one else could have her,' tell Remus I have a complicated counter-potion that while excruciatingly painful to the point of being labeled forbidden and noted to be worse than an extended dose of cruciatus, removes the holds of a binding spell. Also, while you're at it, ask him if he knows anyone who'd be willing to collaborate with me on such a difficult potion?" With that, Hermione was gone, disappeared up the stairs, leaving both Sirius and James flabbergasted in her wake.

"He bound her without her consent?" a soft voice said from behind James who glanced back at Lily, just as shocked as she. Even as a muggleborn, Lily knew what it meant to bind yourself. It was a way to tie your soul to another person's, to connect yourself to them forever. Even some married couples never went through a full binding ceremony. It was a huge commitment that not even people head over heels in love were comfortable with performing. Obviously Hermione had tied herself to Remus once, but to do it now- without her permission? It shouldn't even be possible to do, but Hermione was clearly certain and she was just as angry as anyone would be in her shoes.

"What was he thinking?" Peter breathed. As a member of an old family, Peter knew what a binding meant, just was well as James and Sirius did.

"I don't believe thinking was involved," Lily whispered, horrified by what he'd done. "I've heard of that potion and it is 100% as bad as she says. Don't let Remus think for an instant that Hermione won't brew it," she told James seriously, before following her friend up the stairs to girl's dormitory.

There was a crash upstairs and James stood stiffly for all of a minute, before starting for the door. "James!" Sirius called after him in warning.

Please let me know what you think


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